Bring Me The Stars
by datkarKatass
Summary: Escape is necessary, but at what cost?
1. Escape and Escaped

**A/N: Yo! I haven't updated _Nothing Special_ for a while, and I honestly have no excuse except for this! For this fic, I'm not going on a whim, per se. I actually have a good plot in mind. I honestly _love_ nice, long fanfictions with a good plot, and I hate that I can never think of one good enough. So, hopefully, this will be a better one than any fanfic I've ever written! (And trust me, I've written a _lot_ of fanfics in my time.)**

**Also, you can find the full picture of the cover on my tumblr. It's the same as my PN, and under the tag _doodles_.**

**Now, without further ado, I present to you, _Bring Me The Stars_.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Sometimes, I will add the explanations in the fanfic. This is only because I don't want anything spoiled beforehand.**

**2)There are 5 nations. These nations are named after some Greek mythological creatures, and correspond to the nation's geographical layout, the Capital excluded. Helios is Titan of the sun and guardian of oaths. Cerberus is the three-headed hound who guarded the gates of Hades (though that's more known). Scylla is, well, a monstrous sea goddess. Apollo is the god of healing and medicine. More on these nations as we go along in the story.**

**3) Other Greek mythological creatures mentioned: Euphrosyne - goddess of good cheer, joy, mirth, and merriment. Nemesis - goddess of revenge, balance, righteous indignation, and retribution. You'll learn what these are in the fic as you read.**

**4) Legion is the Capital's militia/police, you could say. I can't remember the exact word.**

**5) I'm using Mai's Japanese name, aka Kujaku Mai. But I'm making it Mai Kujaku for convenient purposes. It just sounds better.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1:**

_**ESCAPE AND ESCAPED**_

* * *

_**MONTH 9 . DAY 20 . YEAR 2099 .**_

He ran. Oh, how he ran. Away from the tyranny, away from the Capital, away from anything pertaining to himself. He knew it was a bad idea to run away. He knew it, and yet he kept running. Farther, farther, and farther still, away from his fate.

For most of his life, he dreamed of this world. He dreamed of the outside; the sand beneath his feet as he ran around and played games with some non-existent friends. But those dreams weren't like this. Those dreams didn't contain him running from something with all his might. This was not a dream, this was a nightmare, and he knew it. He knew it, and so he continued to run.

He chanced a glance back, the Capital slowly leaving his sights. It's high towers glowered at him; he wondered how he had even escaped. He held no remorse that he was running away, only relief. He was escaping, something he thought, in all of the 11 years of his life, he would never be able to accomplish. When the thought finally sank in, an overwhelming happiness settled in with it.

As the towers finally disappeared from sight, he laughed. He laughed boisterously, the sound ringing throughout the sands. Even when he stumbled over his own feet, and fell on the ground, he still rejoiced. Instantly, he decided that no greater pleasure could be felt; this was bliss at it's finest. And by the Gods he was loving every moment of it. With gleaming lilac eyes, he stared up at the starry sky with a large smile. The full moon beamed down at him, as if sharing the emotions coursing through his veins. How could something so beautiful have been above his head this whole time?

In the back of his mind, he wondered if they had even noticed his lack of presence. Truth be told, he hadn't planned much farther than where he was now, sprawled out on the cold desert sand. It had seemed near impossible to him that this plan could even succeed! But it did, and here he was, out.

He closed his eyes and inhaled the lukewarm smell of the foreign area, then exhaled heavily. Exhaustion was nearly taking over him, as all the excitement of the past few hours was catching up. But he couldn't sleep here. That much, at least, he knew. Reluctantly, he stood up, eyes examining his surroundings. He never imagined just how desolate and barren the desert could be until now. Sure, he'd seen it in textbooks and the like, but experiencing it first hand like this left a completely different impression.

Deciding he had wasted enough time, he put one foot in front of the other, and trudged through the cold sands of the outer Capital. As he walked, his mind began to crank. If he met someone, what exactly would he tell them? Almost no one knew exactly what he looked like, or his exact name, but he was at least pretty well known. And why wouldn't they? He was basically royalty!

Shaking his head, he banished those thoughts from his mind. No. He was no longer royalty. He gave that up as soon as he ran off. But what should he tell them? In the end, he decided he would have to just keep his mouth shut if he was found. That is, if he was even able to.

Wrapping his arms around himself, he brought the thin, black cloak closer to him for more warmth. "It's cold..." he whispered to no one, looking down at the soft, cloth shoes he wore. "I'm sleepy..." But he knew he had to continue to walk. It was dangerous at night, and there were numerous critters that could kill him as he slept. With a covered yawn, he looked at the night sky. The stars continued to gleam down at him; they were beautiful, even better than the pictures in text books. Like the barren desert, experiencing it first hand left a completely different impression.

For hours he continued to walk. The sun began to rise, and everything got hotter. His throat began to ache from dehydration. He panted, uncurling the cloak from his body and now tying it around his waist. His ashen hair stuck to his face. Water... he needed water...

"Hey, you! Kid!" A voice. Someone had spotted him. Slowly, he turned, examining the speaker as the stranger walked over to him. Said stranger was much taller than him, by at least 3 feet. He wore strange clothing, a black shirt without sleeves, and pants that seemed to be uncomfortably tight. Blonde bangs hung in his face, the rest of his black hair spiked up, the edges lined with a reddish color. He also noticed this man was of a paler complexion, one he's only seen in the colored pages of textbooks. The stranger took in the boy's appearance and frowned. "What are you doing all the way out here in these desert sands?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a squeak. His throat was too dry. Catching onto this, the stranger took out a canister and thrust it towards him. "Drink," the older man commanded. The boy grabbed the canister and drunk heavily, exhaling loudly once his throat was quenched enough to talk. "I'll ask again, what are you doing out here in these desert sands? It's dangerous."

"I-I know," the smaller boy squeaked. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell the truth! "I... was out shopping with my... my mother in the Capital. We... got lost and I was supposed to look for help. But... then _I_ got lost and... I don't know my way back!" He looked up at the stranger, tears perking out for extra believability.

The taller man sighed, taking the bait. "Do you want to go back to the Capital? I know the way there..." he offered.

"No!" the boy quickly exclaimed. The stranger stared at him, taken aback by the boys reluctance. "M-mother... she's out in the desert somewhere! I can't go back without her!" The boy was getting used to this story. He decided it would have to do, for now.

The stranger frowned at this, pausing for a moment or two, then smiled. "Alright," he said. "You can come with me, if you wish. Me and my friends only came to the Capital for a bit of shopping." He gestured towards off in the distance, where the boy noticed a vehicle he'd never seen before. A car, was it? "But we finished our shopping, and were on our way back to camp."

The boy stared up at the stranger skeptically. Outside of his so-called "home", he had barely any other interaction with others. Why was this stranger inviting him? He'd read stories about kidnappings and the like for ransom money, but he was sure this man didn't know who the boy was. He was a traveler, not from around these parts. Plus, the boy had nowhere else to go, and no one else would be around to offer. "...Alright," he said reluctantly.

"Okay! Then it's settled," the stranger said, stretching slightly. He turned, and the boy followed. "By the way, kid, what's your name?"

"My name?" the boy asked. The taller man simply nodded. The boy reminded himself that this man was a traveler, not from around here; he wouldn't know who he was. "Oh, um... My name is Marik. Marik Ishtar. Thanks for taking me with you..."

"Well, Marik. My name is Yami Muto," the man chuckled. "And you don't have to thank me, kid. I'm just helping someone in need. It's my thing."

Marik laughed softly. As they neared the car, exhaustion was taking back over. And man, did he need sleep...

* * *

The year 2105. The past six years had changed the world greatly. The rulers of the Capital went to war with the other nations, Cerberus, Helios, Apollo, and Scylla. The Capital won; it's enormous military and political power overwhelmed the other nations.

Cerberus was the first to go. The land there was mountainous and black, covered in death. While it's military power was one to fear, it's area had been devastated with drought and famine for at least 5 years beforehand, making it's power decline. And soon, they were beat, with the record of the most casualties throughout the war.

Helios followed suit; their military was weak from the start. Their land was flat, and grassy; it was no place for a war zone. With their rulers being the usual peace keepers between the five nations, they had surrendered. Their casualties were minimum.

Scylla was next. It was also a large, flat area, by the ocean. It was plentiful with water. But by some dumb luck, an earthquake had struck the area, causing a tsunami during the war. Everything went to chaos, and they were soon afterward defeated. Their casualties were close behind that of Cerberus.

Apollo was last to fall. Their land was forested, flourished with many medicinal herbs. Their citizens were very practiced in the old healing ways, so that when the Capital shut down their hospitals as a near last minute effort, they were still okay. The forest provided a great hiding place for battles, as the people knew it well. In a final attempt to triumph over Apollo, the Capital burned down about three-quarters of the forest, along with it many of the medicinal herbs the citizens had used throughout the war. They surrendered as well, not wanting any more damage to come to the forest. While their casualties were also minimal, they had suffered a great loss – their forest.

This war was known as the First Great War, now more commonly referred to as the Impact. No one knew what started the Impact, and what exactly brought the Capital into such an outrage, they had brought suffering upon its fellow nations. However, one boy – or now, man – knew the truth. It was why he had run away, to escape from the inevitable. And his name...

"Ishtar! Get over here! We've got twenty two orders for all this garbage and I can't do this all by myself!" a loud voice yelled.

A tanned 17 year old bolted up from his chair, ashen hair falling gracefully over his shoulders as earbuds fell out of his ears. His sleeveless lavender top, cut off above his midriff, fluttered over his skin, along with tight, tan camo pants hugging his legs. "Coming, Yami!" he called back, quickly stuffing away his Player in his work bag. He rushed over to the owner of the voice, the man who had found Marik only 6 years ago, fitted in tight black jeans and a sleeveless black shirt. "What do you need help with?"

Yami sighed, pointing towards a large pile of boxes. Marik gulped at the numbers. "Sort those out from smallest to biggest. Put the bigger ones nearer to the left corner, and set the smaller ones aside. Those are ones that will be picked up personally by our customers," Yami explained. "The bigger ones we ship out. I'll take care of putting them on the belt. Got it?"

"Got it!" Marik answered enthusiastically, and rushed over to the pile of boxes. He immediately began to follow Yami's instructions, putting the bigger boxes left and setting the smaller boxes aside.

Yami smirked at the younger male. He had to admit, the kid had a certain unique quality to him. When he had picked the kid up from the desert sands of the outer Capital, he didn't know what to think. The kid Marik was always on the lookout, on the brink of paranoid. But as he grew older, he seemed to open up more. And before Yami even knew it, the kid and grown on him, not to mention grew up. Now Marik was 17, and nearly as tall as himself.

Huffing as he finished sorting the boxes, Marik stood and wiped his forehead. He turned to Yami and grinned. "Anything else, Yami?" he asked.

Yami snapped out of his daze and sighed. "Nothing to do with boxes. But I do have a favor to ask of you," he said. He looked at Marik straight in the eye, making sure the younger man was paying attention. Marik simply nodded for him to continue. "Can you go check on Yugi? I asked him to label some packages back in the garage. He didn't seem too hot this morning, and I'm a bit worried."

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing, Yami," Marik said with a soft nod. He turned and walked off, frowning. He never was a big fan of the younger Muto, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Yami. If he was asking Marik, it meant it was important.

Making his way past the many doors and other hallways, he had finally arrived at the garage. He took out a card, stored in his pants pocket, and swiped it through the reader. The garage door opened with a groan. He entered, looking around the big area. "Yugi! Are you in here?" Marik called out. The garage was dark. Too dark. "Yugi! Yami wanted me to check in on you! Are you okay?" he called out once more, frowning when he was met with silence. He grumbled to himself, turning to head back to where Yami was, when a crash sounded behind him, followed by a groan. Immediately, he whipped around to the source of the sound.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Marik hissed, eyes searching the darkness. A groaning came from his right – it was Yugi's voice. He rushed over to the other boy and knelt down to him. Yugi was a mess; he had bruises on his arms, and a cut across his cheek. His blue jacket was a bit torn, though still zipped up. His dark blue jeans had some holes in them. A patch of his hair was tinted crimson; Marik guessed he suffered a blow to the head. "Woah, Yugi! What happened? Yami said you weren't feeling well, but I'm sure he'd notice _this!_"

Yugi coughed, opening his eyes and staring at Marik's silhouette. "N-Nemesis... they came for the Euphrosyne we have in... stock..." he wheezed, closing his eyes. "You have to help... Joey and Tristan... They were the ones handling... the Euphrosyne..."

Marik's eyes widened. "Nemesis? A-are you serious here, Yugi? They _found_ us?" he rushed, shaking Yugi softly. He got a groan in response, and realized he would get nothing else out of the younger Muto. Sighing, Marik stood and slung the other over his shoulder. Yugi was _way_ too light. "I'll get you to Yami first, Yugi. Then I'll go help Joey and Tristan. Okay?" Another groan was his response. With a heavy exhale, Marik rushed to Yami.

As expected, once he entered the room, Yami rushed over to Yugi and began to freak. He demanded Marik the story, so the younger man told. Yami's eyes widened gradually as the story was relayed, and ordered him to go check on Tristan and Joey. "Was already planning on it," was Marik's response, before he rushed off to find the other workers.

It seems it's time for more explanation. Euphrosyne is a drug that can both enhance and induce good feelings and emotions, like happiness and love. It's a very powerful drug. Scientists started working on it around a year after the Impact, for the people were suffering. There are rumors of forced human experimentation, which, Marik could vouch for personally, are not true.

Nemesis is a resistance organization, created for the purpose of restoring the world back to pre-Impact. Their numbers and leader, or leaders, are currently unknown. They have no exact slogan that they go by, though there are many. Their known symbol is a silver dragon with gleaming crimson eyes, wrapped around a old, worn out skull. Usually, Nemesis groups go around and steal and/or destroy Euphrosyne. Some claim it's because Euphrosyne was developed after Impact. Others say it's because the drug gives everyone the feeling of a blissful ignorance, corrupting society. The organization is known for being ruthless, and doing everything in their power to get their way.

Marik skidded to a stop as he finally made it to to the stock room, where they kept the majority of the Euphrosyne. He steadied himself, putting up his guard as he shakily swiped his card. The door unlocked, and he silently opened it. He entered, forgetting to close the door behind him.

The room was dark, like the garage had been. Maybe even darker. Marik reached over to the wall, attempting to switch the lights on. It didn't work. He noticed a figure that stood in the middle of the room. "Joey? Is that you?" The figure whipped around, though it was near impossible to make out who it was – the room was too dark. "Who are you? Are you Nemesis?" Marik hissed, forcing himself to steady. He was scared – he didn't like the dark.

The figure chuckled – a deep sound that Marik didn't recognize. It sent unpleasant shivers down his spine. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Why do you want to know?" it asked. From the way the voice sounded, Marik could tell it was a guy, at least his age. He also had a hint of an accent, the kind you would hear from someone from Cerberus.

"I work here. You gave yourself away to my co-worker. He said you were Nemesis. Plus, you're in the Euphrosyne storage room," Marik answered, his voice wavering slightly. "I keep up with the times, I know that Nemesis steals and destroys Euphrosyne. So answer me!" He stomped his foot, the sound echoing off the walls. "Who are you?"

The figure just laughed, chilling Marik to the bone. "You know, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have places to go and things to do," he stated, voice dripping with sarcasm. There was a ruffling sound – Marik guessed he was picking up the bag that he'd probably put the Euphrosyne in. As the figure walked towards him, he was frozen. Was he going to hurt him? Marik was scared, shaking in place. Suddenly, crimson eyes met his gaze. And those were all he could see of the stranger. "By the way," his voice purred. "Thanks for keeping the door open."

And the other left, leaving Marik frozen in spot. The slamming of the door snapped him out of his daze, however. Spinning around, he wordlessly opened it. As he stepped out, he scanned the hallways – the figure was nowhere to be seen. He'd gotten away. Marik bristled, growing angry with himself. He'd gotten away with all that Euphrosyne, and it was _all his fault!_ How could he live with himself, knowing he'd let _Nemesis_ get away? With the _Euphrosyne!_

"Marik!" Yami's voice called from down the hallway. Marik turned his head, watching as his co-worker made his way towards him. He blanched. "Are you okay? You look... pale." Marik turned his gaze to the floor slowly, too ashamed of himself to meet Yami's eyes. "Well, what happened with Nemesis? Did you catch them?"

Marik squeezed his eyes shut. "I-I'm sorry, Yami... By the time I got here, Nemesis was long gone," he lied. "I didn't make it in time. Joey and Tristan weren't inside, either. I don't know where they went..." He hated lying to Yami. Why wouldn't he? The older man had saved his life.

Yami cursed under his breath. "Well, how was the damage? How much Euphrosyne did they steal?" he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

Marik nearly corrected Yami, almost saying it wasn't a _they_ but a _he_. "It was a big blow, at least. I couldn't check that much, though. The lights were blown out for some reason. I tried to flip the switch, but they wouldn't come on. Sorry..." he muttered, shaking his head.

Yami patted the tanned teenager on the back, making him look up into the red eyes of his friend. "Don't worry about it, Marik. There wasn't much you could do. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt," he said honestly, shooting the other a smile.

Marik had never felt more miserable in his life.

* * *

"Rejoice! Bakura's back with a major victory!"

Cheers filled the room as the white haired teen with crimson eyes burst into the hideout, a large bag slung over his shoulders. He grimaced at the strong smell of alcohol. "Hey, Bakura! How much d'you get this time?" one drunkard asked, before gulping down his beer.

"Around 30 or so packets," Bakura answered curtly. He tossed the bag onto the wooden table in the middle of the room, making it creak. "It wasn't so hard." Deciding to leave out the part where he got caught by some dumb... whatever, he scanned over his so-called comrades. "Where's Ryou?"

"He's upstairs. You should check on him, since he's freaking out so bad," a woman answered from the bar stools. She pushed back some of her long, slick blonde hair, batting her gorgeous purple eyes at Bakura. "You were running late."

Bakura snorted. "Only by a couple of minutes, Kujaku. I got held back by traffic – you can't blame me for that," he scoffed at the woman. It was a lie - he was actually a bit paranoid after the whole confrontation in the stock room. Though he was certain the other... man? couldn't see him, he didn't want to risk any chances.

"Oh, please. Like _you'd_ let some traffic hold you back. Something happened, didn't it?" Mai accused. The room went quiet, the other Nemesis members staring at Bakura. They were curious as well as to why Bakura was so late.

Luckily for him, Ryou came down at that moment. "Bakura!" he exclaimed, throwing himself at his brother. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick! You're late you know!" Bakura grimaced as he saw Ryou's teary expression.

"Don't worry," he grumbled. "I'm fine. Nothing happened, just traffic." Ryou stared at him, backing up a few steps. He examined the way his brother's eyes refused to meet his, and how his hands fiddled behind his back.

"Well, let's go upstairs and talk, alright?" the younger brother suggested. Bakura looked at Ryou, eyes slightly widened, before nodding once. He followed his sibling upstairs, where they headed to their shared room. Once they left, the bar area became lively once more.

The door closed behind Bakura, and Ryou was on his case in a flash. "Tell me the truth now, Bakura. What held you up?" he questioned, watching as his older brother went to sit on his bed.

Bakura exhaled, falling back onto the soft mattress. "Well, I guess you could say I was found out?" he said uncertainly. "But, since it was dark, I think the person didn't see me. He was scared, though." He smirked. "I wonder if he was scared of me. It'd be wonderful if I knew what expression he had on... Or if I could even see his face at all..." Bakura licked his lips, remembering the way that other guy's voice had wavered in fear.

Ryou sighed, walking over to his bed and sitting on it. He hated when his brother got like this, making him look like a sadistic bastard. (Though, to be honest, he kind of was.) "Well, do you think he told his boss, or whatever? It'd spell trouble for us if he could even describe anything about you!" he groaned.

Bakura grunted. He hadn't thought of that. "With the way he was acting as I left, by which I mean frozen in place, I doubt he'd tell. Plus, he didn't seem the type," he replied simply, sitting up.

"_The type_?" Ryou repeated in horror. "You- you didn't _talk_ to him, did you?" Bakura sent him a look, confirming his fears. "Bakura, he could recognize you from your voice! And if you walked by him, he probably could've at least partially seen your face!" He stood and began to pace. "Oh, what'll we do? We'll get caught! I know it!"

"Relax, Ryou! We won't get caught," Bakura huffed, rolling his eyes. "If push comes to shove, we'll leave the others behind and be on our merry way. Simple as that." Ryou turned, looking at his older brother with wide eyes.

"Leave the others behind? You mean Mai, and... and everyone else?" he asked softly. "There is _no way_ I'll allow that, Bakura! They're our friends! They've been with us through thick and thin; how could you even think of such a thing?"

Bakura scoffed. "The world's a terrible place, Ryou. You should know that personally. Or have you forgotten?" he asked. Ryou's brown eyes hardened as he stopped pacing. He looked down at the floor, a mournful look on his face.

"No... I haven't forgotten..." he whispered. "I haven't forgotten about how the Legion took away our mum and Amane. I never will."

Bakura shot Ryou a smug grin. "Then you understand. In this world it's do or die; there's no in between," he said smartly. Ryou simply frowned at him and sat back down on his bed.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Ryou broke it. "Bakura... do you think the world will return back to the way it was pre-Impact?" he asked, tightening his hands into fists. Bakura turned to his brother, blinking. "Sometimes I wonder if... all our fighting and effort will be in vain. Everyone's suffered a heavy loss from the Impact; most people will never be the same."

Bakura contemplated this in silence. "Who knows?" came his answer. He shrugged, looking at the wall. "But we'll never know unless we try..."

Ryou snorted. "Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" he asked, letting out a small laugh. "The Bakura _I_ know is _never_ optimistic."

Bakura glared at his younger brother. "Oh, shove it!" he hissed. He stood up, walking over to the door. "I'm gonna go and get some drinks. Do what you want." He strutted out, slamming the door, making sure to ignore the laughter behind him.

**A/N: I tried. I tried my hardest to make this 6k words long. But in the end, I have failed. I really don't want this to go jumping back and forth between Marik and Bakura like a bazillion times each chapter, so I'll have to end it here. Please let me know how you like it, and leave a review!**


	2. Found and Found Out

**A/N: I'm sorry this is a bit late. I've been a bit over dramatic these past days, and kinda down. There's no particular reason, though... Also, thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter! Every review helps motivate me to write more.**

**Honestly, I wonder if I'm getting to the plot too soon? But I don't want to post filler chapters or anything... Ah well. Onto Chapter 2.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Like in Nothing Special, Malik is Yami Marik and Marik is Hikari Marik. It could be confusing; just think of Malik like "malice" or something.**

**2) Each nation has 4 districts, like the US with states I guess. For Apollo, it's Aceso, Epione, Iaso, and Asclepius. For Cerberus, it's Hades, Erebos, Thanatos, and Nyx. In Helios, it's Selene, Eos, Aether, and Ouranos. Lastly, for Scylla, it's Hydros, Phorcys, Tethys, and Eidothea. The Capital has no districts – all of it is simply "the Capital." Putting the explanations for these would take up too much space; go to the list of Greek mythological figures on the wiki and CTRL+F the names.**

**3) No one knows much about the royal... family, I guess? Everyone just knows that it exists, and since society's so screwed up, no one cares enough to know. There's only rumors; close to none of them very... nice.**

**4) The Legion's symbol is a griffin.**

**5) Ryou and Bakura's last name is Charon, who, in the Greek mythological figures, is the ferryman of Hades.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

_**FOUND AND FOUND OUT**_

* * *

A loud knock sounded on a wooden door. A tanned, young man, around somewhere in his early twenties, sat up in his bed. He rubbed his messy blonde hair, and looked down to his left. Some bitch that had thrown herself at him the night before lay asleep next to him. A smirk formed on the man's lips. Of course, no one could resist royalty. Two more knocks came. "What is it?" the young man growled. The door opened, revealing an older man, dressed in a white tunic and cloth pants.

"My prince, we've seem to have located the general whereabouts of your younger brother," the servant informed. "He's in the Iaso district of Apollo. He works at a wares factory and delivery service, with several colleagues. We believe they might have been the ones to have helped him with his escape." The prince was silent, eyes wide. "His apartment is on the border of the district, nearest to Epione. Shall I send in the Legion?"

The prince snapped his gaze to his servant. "You found... Marik?" he asked slowly, processing this new information. The servant nodded once. The prince grinned an evil, maniacal grin. "Oh... Perfect... Absolutely perfect... Extraordinarily perfect!" He laughed, getting out of his bed and slipping on his robe. The woman in his bed began to stir, but did not awake. "Yes! Send in the Legion. Bring him here," the prince ordered, licking his lips.

"Yes, my prince," the servant said humbly. He turned, and made his leave. The prince grinned maliciously, walking over to his balcony that overlooked the Capital. He felt like having a party. Maybe he'd go torturing some prisoners later.

When was the last time he had seen his baby brother, again? Ah, yes, six years ago. Before the damned coward had run away from his duty. The prince scowled at this memory. He was too kind to his brother, too soft; that's how he had escaped. As another smirk wound up his face. He decided that his kindness would change into something more... intense when the Legion carried him back, kicking and screaming. Just how he'd like it.

Yes... Malik would make sure that his little brother would suffer.

* * *

Marik awoke with a start. Glancing at his clock, the numbers _5:04 AM _glared at him. He groaned, sitting up in his bed, holding his head with a hand. His mind was pounding, and he vaguely wondered if he had a migraine. The day before flowed back into his mind. They had found Joey and Tristan at the food area, goofing around like the morons they were. Yami was, needless to say, furious. He scolded them relentlessly. In all honesty, he was terrifying; the two idiots were shaking in fear. Yugi had stepped in and stopped his older brother, eventually.

Marik didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face today. But he knew he had to, or Yami would suspect something was up. And if Yami began to suspect something, then that annoying Yugi would bug him too. Maybe he would just call in sick for the day? He might just do that.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

But before that, maybe he'd answer the door.

Slowly, Marik stood up from his comfortable mattress and plopped his feet on his ugly brown carpet. "Coming!" he shouted as the people knocked once more. Grumbling, he quickly threw on his lavender sleeveless tee from yesterday, and a pair of worn out jeans. What would someone want at this time in the morning?

Marik hurried his way through his tiny kitchen and to the front door. He peeked through the peephole. A man in a blue uniform waited for him, wearing a cap with a griffin on it. It was a Legion's officer. What did the Legion want with him? Slowly, cautiously, he opened the door. "May I help you, sir?" he asked, guarded.

The officer cleared his throat. "Are you Marik Ishtar?" he asked. A deep feeling of dread sank within the tanned teen. He nodded. "You'll have to come with me, Mr. Ishtar. The prince requests your presence."

Marik's eyes went wide. They found him. They finally found him. "I-I'm sorry?" he squeaked. "C-can you repeat that? The prince..." His heart rate increased; he wasn't ready for this.

The officer's eyes narrowed to a glare. "The prince requests your presence, Mr. Ishtar. I will not repeat myself again," he hissed.

How was he supposed to get out of this? He didn't want to cause a huge scene with a Legion officer, and he really didn't want to go back to the Capital. What would he do? Yami would be really worried if he found out he was taken away by someone, most of all a _Legion officer_...

Wait... Yami! That's it! He should be up by now. Trying to calm himself, Marik let out a sigh. "Alright. I don't want to make any trouble, so I'll go with you. But, first... do you think I could make a phone call? My friend was expecting to meet me today, and since I'm meeting with the prince..." he trailed off, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Make it quick," the officer grunted. "I don't have all day." Marik nodded and closed the door, keeping up his calm facade. He had one chance at this, and he didn't want to mess it up.

Marik quietly walked to his room, first slipping on some tennis shoes, and pocketing his wallet. He fetched his cell on top of his nightstand, and held down the 1; the speed dial for Yami. Holding it up to his ear, he waited. _Ring... Ring... Ring..._ And thank the Gods, he got an answer.

"Marik?" came Yami's voice on the other end of the phone. "What's up? Do you need something? You're usually not up this early." Marik began to panic.

"Yami, listen, and listen carefully," he rushed in a whisper. "A Legion officer is at my door. I have to stay quiet, because I don't want him listening in on this. He says he's going to take me to the Capital, and that the prince... wants something with me."

"The prince wants to see you? Do you know why?" Yami asked. "You didn't do something illegal, did you?" Marik could hear his savior's concern, and it struck him like a knife. He swallowed heavily, unsure if he should actually tell the other the truth. The truth about him, about the Capital... about the war... "Marik? You there?"

"Y-yeah, sorry. I was just... thinking," Marik said quickly, snapping back to reality. He decided to lie; Yami didn't need to be burdened with the truth. "I don't know what the prince wants. And... with all the rumors about him, I'm not sure I _want_ to know." He hated lying. "Could you send Joey or Tristan over? They live near me right?" A yes was his answer. "Good. I just... need a distraction to get away. I've already pissed off the guy enough, but I think I can handle him for a good more minutes. Alright?"

There was silence for a few seconds. "Alright, Marik. But you have to promise you'll do this without any violence. I don't need you being thrown into jail and being tortured, or something," Yami agreed with a soft laugh. Marik knew he was joking around in the last part, but that was exactly what he was afraid of.

"Yeah... I wouldn't want that," he said nervously. "Please, hurry." Without waiting for an answer, he ended the call and mustered up all the courage he could. He took in a deep breath, and headed back to the door. The officer was there waiting, with his arms crossed as he glared at Marik. "Sorry about that," the teen apologized. "My friend freaked out on me. We were planning this visit for months, and..."

"Are you saying that your friends are _more important_ than the _prince_?" the officer questioned. Marik gulped; he really did not like this guy.

"No, of course not! I mean, friends are friends, and the prince is _the prince_! Who could choose friends over the prince, right? He's royalty!" he rushed. It was a lie, he couldn't care less about this _prince_. The prince could go to hell; Marik was certain if that was a real place, he would be. "Anyway, sir, do you even know what the prince wants with me? Did he say anything?" Only a few more minutes or so...

"No, he didn't. No one knows what the prince is really thinking, except for his faithful servant Rishid," the officer said, deciding to at least to tell the teen what he knew. It'd be easier to take him away after he'd calm down. "The Legion is told nothing except direct orders from the prince, which is relayed from that servant."

_Rishid is still alive?_ Marik was surprised at this. Knowing the prince, he'd have at least killed Rishid... No. This prince wouldn't keep his _servant_ alive unless he had something up his sleeve. Marik was certain that he would use Rishid to draw himself out, to blackmail him out of hiding. A burning hot anger boiled up within the teen. "Have- have you seen the prince before?" he asked. In his peripheral vision, he could see Joey and Tristan coming up.

The officer shook his head, taking off his cap and scratching his head. "No one has, only Rishid is permitted to see him. It's enough to get you curious, but..." He was cut off from a karate chop to the neck, knocking him out. Tristan stood behind him, Joey grinning down at Marik.

"Hey, Marik! Sorry ta keep ya waitin'," he said in an accent you'd hear from Scylla. "Anyway, Yami filled us in. Let's get goin', 'fore this guy wakes, yeah?" Marik nodded, stepping out of his apartment and closing the door, locking it. Joey shot Marik a confused look. "Yer not gonna get any stuff? Ain'tcha gonna crash with Yami?"

Marik turned to the two other guys. "I'm sorry. I... can't bother to be around you guys anymore. Now that the Legion's after me, I have to leave," he explained, looking at the floor. Joey opened up his mouth to respond, but Marik held up his hands, stopping him. "I can't tell you guys why. And... and I don't know when I'll see you guys again..."

"Marik, can you answer at least this question?" Tristan spoke up. Marik looked over at Tristan, nodding his head for him to continue. "_Will _we see you again?" This question honestly surprised the tanned teen. Silently, he put on a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I promise," Marik answered. "And... tell Yami bye for me, alright?" He knew he wouldn't be able to do it himself.

"Aight, Marik. We'll tell him," Joey promised with a grin, nodding once. "And since you promised, you _definitely_ have to keep it, got it?"

Marik chuckled, responding with a nod. "Bye, guys. See you later." And he was off.

* * *

It's been three days since Marik ran away. Three exhausting days since he last saw his, dare he say, friends. He hadn't even said good-bye to Yami, something he hated himself for. But right now, it seemed that was all he was capable of. He was quickly running out of money; the food prices in Apollo had skyrocketed since the forest was burned. He hadn't even had a good enough sleep, always paranoid and on the run. Every now and then, he could hear sirens from the cars the Legion drove. The teen knew they were still looking for him. By now, he might as well have a death wish.

Marik hated life. Not that he hadn't before, it was just less when he was with his... friends. Once you have that sort of happiness, you can't forget it. And when you lose it... you feel more empty than ever before. The tanned boy vaguely wondered from time to time if he should just end it, so everything would go away. Whenever those kind of thoughts came, he'd remind himself of his promise with Tristan and Joey. They'd definitely meet again, along with Yami.

So where was Marik now? In an alleyway between a restaurant and apartment complex, resting against the brick wall of one of them, he wasn't sure which. He'd escaped to Epione and was nearly night time. He felt weak – he hadn't had anything to eat for at most 24 hours. With a chuckle, he wondered if that promise was in vain. Would he really die before getting to see Yami again? And why was he so caught up on Yami? Was it just because he had rescued him, or something more?

Marik shook his head. It would be no use getting into these thoughts. He didn't know if he'd be able to see his savior again, a depressing fact that he'd accepted the day before. The teen let out a long sigh, feeling his stomach growl. "I'm so hungry..." he whispered to himself, closing his eyes. "It's cold..." He felt a wave of deja vu, knowing he'd been in this situation before. Except not this long, and there was no one to save him... No one... He felt himself drifting away.

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice. A soft, timid voice. It seemed far away. Marik felt a hand on his shoulder; it giving him a little shake. "You aren't dead, are you?" He felt hands on his wrist; whoever it was was checking his pulse. The hand went back onto his shoulder, giving him a harder shake. "Hey, wake up..."

"Oh, leave him be Ryou." A harsher voice. Marik vaguely recognized it... but from where? He couldn't remember... everything was so hazy... He wanted to sleep. "What did I tell you about helping strangers? You'll just get into bigger shit. Remember last time?"

"Bakura, come on! That was _once_. It won't happen again," the timid voice retorted. Marik reluctantly opened his eyes, peering at the two before him. Both had white hair, strangely enough. The one kneeling in front of him was glaring at the other with brown eyes. The other whitette had crimson eyes, which were avoiding brown ones. They seemed oddly familiar... but just where did he know them?

"Who... are you two?" Marik asked slowly. Glancing up at the sky, he realized he had fallen asleep. The sky was now a pure black. The boy in front of him whipped his head towards him, beaming at the teen slumped against the wall.

"You're alive! Oh, that's great! My name is Ryou Charon, and behind me is my brother, Bakura," he explained, gesturing back to the other whitette. "What's your name?"

"Marik... Marik Ishtar..." Marik answered softly. This... Ryou seemed friendly enough... but could he trust him?

"What are you doing here?" Ryou asked. "Are you homeless from the Impact? If so, you're more than welcome to come with us!" Marik and Bakura opened their mouths, one to answer, the other to retort. Both were silenced when a loud rumble came from the teen's stomach. He blushed in embarrassment, looking down at the ground. Bakura snickered, making the other just blush even further. Ryou looked back and glared at his brother. "Bakura, don't laugh at him!" Ryou scolded, then turned back to Marik. "Why don't you come with us to the restaurant you're leaning against? The food there is _really _good!"

Marik gaped up at Ryou. Without finding his voice, he nodded, slowly standing up. Ryou grinned, helping the tanned boy up. "Well, I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about this, Ryou," Bakura scoffed. Ryou just shot a glare at his brother, then walked with Marik into the restaurant. Bakura reluctantly followed behind.

* * *

"So," Ryou began as the three finished their meal, bill paid and all. "What were you doing out in the middle of the Epione district? In an alleyway no less?" Marik stared at Ryou; he hadn't realized he'd gone so far away. At the others silence, Ryou tittered softly. "Y-you don't have to explain if you don't want to..."

"No, no, it's just..." Marik took in a deep breath, glancing around at their surroundings. The restaurant was basically empty, minus a few other customers and employees. He leaned in, looking at the table. "I'm on the run from the Legion," he whispered.

Ryou gaped at Marik, who shrunk back in his seat. "Really? Why?" he wondered. Bakura, who was looking out of the window, glanced at Marik, now interested in this conversation.

"Apparently the... prince requested my presence," Marik explained. "And knowing him, that's never a good thing." His eyes widened; he did _not_ mean to say that.

"Knowing him?" Bakura spoke up. "You know the prince? I thought nobody personally knew him, except for his servant. And even _that's_ confidential stuff." Marik swallowed heavily. Maybe he shouldn't have come with these guys.

"I don't mean I _personally_ know him. I take those rumors to heart, y'know? I mean, though they're just rumors, it's all we can act upon," Marik answered, carefully choosing his words. "And, with rumors like those, you honestly can't blame me for not wanting to go..."

"But... why would the prince request your presence? I've never heard him doing that before," Ryou stated. "Are you sure that's all there is to it? You're not an escaped criminal or anything, right?" The frightened tone in that sentence made Marik have to stifle laughter.

"Me? An escaped criminal?" Marik repeated, stifling more laughter. "No, no! Not at all. The only things I've ever broken are pottery, some cracked noses, and hearts of the women who used to fawn all over me." That, at least, was the truth.

"Eh? Cracked noses?" Ryou squeaked. "Did you get in fights a lot, or something? You don't seem the type, if you don't mind me saying so..."

At this point, Bakura began to tune the two out as he gazed at Marik. Something about this guy was... familiar. Both the voice and eyes he recognized. Was this pretty boy really the scaredy cat he had met in that Euphrosyne storage room? Or was he getting this all wrong? He had to admit though - if this guy was really the guy he'd seen in that room, his expectations on good looks were well over met. Even when he was all raggedy and worn out, he was still pretty hot. But, what if he was the one who had caught him in that room?

"Is there a reason you're staring at me?" Marik's voice sounded, dragging Bakura out of his little world. The tanned teen was squirming under his scrutiny, cheeks slightly flushed. Bakura vaguely noticed Ryou laughing; he could only guess what happened.

"Kid, where do you work?" Bakura asked, ignoring Marik's own question. The other gaped at him, unsure what to think. "Are you from around here?

"I am not a kid!" Marik fumed. "I'll have you know that I'm 17 years old. I work in a wares and delivery factory down in Iaso, with several of my friends who found me at the outer Capital desert when I was 11. My apartment _was_ near the border of Epione, but since the Legion is after me, I can't really go back." It was a strange question. "Why do you want to know?"

Bakura scowled as his fears were proven correct. "C'mon Ryou, we gotta leave," he said, standing up. He began to walk off towards the entrance, leaving the other two confused.

Ryou and Marik both got up and followed after the older man. "Bakura, wait up!" Ryou yelped, rushing after his brother. "What's up, why do we have to go?" Marik trailed after them, giving them space.

"Ryou," Bakura began in a harsh whisper. "That guy is the guy who caught me in the Euphrosyne stock room! It'll be dangerous if we hang around him, especially if he figures out it was me!"

"What? But I thought he couldn't see you! And you couldn't see him!" Ryou whispered back. "But that doesn't matter. He has nowhere to go! I can't just abandon him. How would you feel if you were in his situation, Bakura?"

"Pretty damn miserable," Bakura answered honestly. "But that means nothing! I don't want to risk him telling anyone!"

"Who would he tell, Bakura?" Ryou asked, loud enough for Marik to hear this time. "There's no one for him _to_ tell! He can't go to the Legion, he ran away from home, and his friends, he doesn't have _anyone! _Don't you remember from before, we were just like him? Don't you?"

Bakura was taken aback by his brother's argument. And for once, he knew he was right. "Alright," Bakura sighed. "Only as long as he doesn't kno-"

"Oh, I get it," Marik said softly, staring at the two brothers. Both stopped, looking back at Marik with wide eyes. "You guys are Nemesis aren't you? And you-" he looked at Bakura "-were the one who was in the Euphrosyne room. I remember now." Bakura's eyes widened further.

Shit.

* * *

**A/N: CLIFFHANGER! I know, it's not as long as the last chapter. I'm beginning to think that 6k words per chapter is too big of a stretch for me.**

**Anyways, a little announcement first. If you have a tumblr, you can track the tag _Bring Me The Stars_. Sometimes, I do little spoiler things, and little extras that I'm not going to upload on here. Mostly because you can't upload audio posts, honestly.**

**So, leave a review and tell me how this turned out! Did it meet your satisfactions? Because jeez I sure hope so.**

**ALSO! If you really want, I can do an attempt to get over my... embarrassment... of writing smut and ATTEMPT to do some for this story. No promises, but I'll do my best if possible. Thanks much!**


	3. Night and Day

**A/N: Sorry this is late! I've been on my playthrough channel, and it's taken up quite some time. I've also been not feeling so well, physically and psychologically, so that takes up a big chunk of time as well. Not to mention translating doujin's. Busy busy busy. It also seems I can only truly write when I am tired. That sucks. But to make it up to you guys, there's some miniscule thiefshipping, at least.**

**_VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:_ I've made a map of sorts and posted it on tumblr. I'm posting the link to it on my... page? The map is excluding the Capital, and is drawn on 4 separate sheets of paper, one for each nation. They ARE put together in how the actual map would be, minus the Capital. Honestly, the Capital is a big mystery. Even to the author herself.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) The beginning of the chapter is a bit violent. Nothing big, though.**

**2) For the sake of more adjectives, I've added new "words." For a person from Cerberus, they're a Cerberian. A person from Apollo would be Apollian. For Scylla, it'd be Scyllian. Helios would be Helian. Lastly, a person from the Capital would be called Cyprian. The word Cyprian derives from Cyprus, which is actually an island in the Mediterranean. It has multiple meanings, mostly pertaining to Aphrodite. It, apparently, also means lewd, and licentious. Considering the Capital, and it's infamous reputation, I think that makes sense.**

**3) This chapter may "skip around" a bit. But it's just setting up the whole plot. Sorry.**

**4) I'm using Tea's Japanese name, Anzu Mazaki. It just seems better, y'know. Though she doesn't really have a _part_ in this story, she's just mentioned.**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

_**NIGHT AND DAY**_

* * *

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"My prince, I come bearing important news," a deep voice sounded on the other side of the hard, metal door. Groaning, Malik walked away from the prisoner he was having quite a good time torturing. The door opened, and his faithful servant wandered inside, ignoring the blood splattered around the prisoner.

"What is it, Rishid?" Malik growled. "This better be good. The guy just started letting in!" He sheathed his dagger after wiping it on a spare cloth, putting it in it's rightful place on his belt. Rishid nodded once, face masked.

"It's about Marik, my prince," he announced. Malik lit up at this, basically skipping to his servant.

"Really? Marik? Did you capture him? Is he on his way?" he questioned happily. "Oh, I can't wait to see his screaming face again! It's been so long... too long..." Malik shivered in anticipation.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the Legion failed in capturing him," Rishid reported. Malik's face drooped into a frown, demanding an explanation. "The Legion officer that was ordered to bring him here was knocked out by someone. He has no idea who did it. But, by the time he awoke, Marik had escaped. That was three days ago." Rishid closed his eyes. "My sincere apologies." Malik's face distorted into fury.

"Marik... got away. That's what you're telling me." It wasn't a question. Rishid simply nodded once in response. Malik bristled, unsheathing his dagger and throwing it behind him, stabbing the prisoner in the arm with professional-like precision. The screams were delicious, but Malik couldn't even give half a fuck at the moment. "Find the people who aided his escape! Bring them here and lock them up!" he ordered.

"But, my prince... all of our cells are full," Rishid informed him. Malik grunted, walking over to his prisoner. He yanked out the knife, causing yet another scream. Deciding he had enough, he impaled the knife into the prisoner's heart, killing him instantly.

"Well! Now we have one free!" Malik hissed, whipping around to his servant. Rishid said nothing, and merely exited the room. With a shout of anger, Malik slammed his fist against the metal wall. "You're not going to get away from me again, Marik. You can't escape forever..."

* * *

Bakura and Ryou stood wide eyed at Marik, who held a more neutral expression. They stood in silence, the exception being the noises of the city surrounding them. "Nemesis, the resistance group with the goal to bring the world pre-Impact. Who knows how many Euphrosyne factories they've destroyed, how many lives they've ruined as they pushed their beliefs onto others," Marik said, as if quoting someone, or something.

Bakura was first to shake off the shock. Clenching his fists, he glared daggers at Marik, who remained passive. "Pushing our beliefs on others?" he repeated. "You've gotta be shitting me! People _come_ to join us! They see the problem with this fucked up society and want to change it! So what if we've destroyed countless Euphrosyne factories? It's a small price to pay for peace!" He moved closer to Ryou. "You don't know the shit we've seen, the _hell_ we went through. You have no right to judge us."

Marik put up his hands in mock defeat, a nervous smile making it's way up. "I'm just relaying what I was told, you know. Nemesis isn't exactly looked up to by everyone. Sure, you have a lot of followers in the Apollo area, but... still," he tittered. "Besides..." He put his hands down slowly, smile fading. "At least in your hell, you had someone..." Bakura was slightly surprised at this reply. At least he had someone "in his hell?" What the hell was that supposed to mean? Didn't this guy have friends at that factory?

By this time, Ryou awoke from his stupor. He gazed to Marik with a smile. "So, what will you do? Are you going to turn us in? Or do you wanna come with us?" he asked, ignoring his brother's protests. Marik's eyes widened. Go with Nemesis? Sure, they were nice now, but if they found out who he was - or rather, who he _actually_ was – what then? Should he even chance it? But he had nowhere else to go...

"Well, I obviously can't turn you in if I'm on the run from the Legion. Not that I would anyways!" Marik answered, adding the last part quickly. "But, before I say yes... I have two quick questions." Ryou gave him a curious look, nodding at him to continue. "Do you have any spies in the Capital? In the royal district, the Legion, wherever."

Bakura and Ryou exchanged glances, wondering where this was coming from. "I... I'm not too sure," Ryou murmured thoughtfully. "The Capital would be a dangerous place to be for Nemesis. If they were found out, they would be executed immediately. What's the other question?"

Marik looked at the two brothers, eyebrows furrowing. "Are you suspicious about anyone in your group? Do you think there could be spies from the Capital, or the Legion?" he asked seriously. Now _this_ was even more curious to the two. What was this guy getting at?

"No one I can think of," Ryou answered honestly. He turned to Bakura. "What about you?"

"I don't trust a lot of people, even in Nemesis. I've learned that lesson from growing up in the Erebos district of Cerberus," Bakura stated. "I can't give you an exact answer, but I guess that our group is alright. No problems have popped up, yet." He fixed Marik with a glare. "Why?"

Marik stared at Bakura for a few moments, then flashed a forced smile. "The Legion is after me," he answered vaguely. Bakura didn't buy that one bit. "I'll come with you guys. I have nowhere to go, after all." Ryou beamed at Marik, rushing over him and grabbing his wrist. Marik wiggled uncomfortably, not used to much contact.

"Then, let's go! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" Ryou exclaimed. "But we'll need to think up of some other story... We can't really tell them you're on the run from the Legion, right?" He pondered a bit as he dragged Marik towards their hideout, Bakura trailing behind. Getting an idea, he let go of Marik's wrist and turned to face him. "How about this: We found you on the streets, and you woke up with amnesia? Good, right?" Marik grinned at Ryou, nodding once.

Bakura snorted. "You can't be serious, Ryou. That's one of the oldest tricks in the book! No one will believe that," he said simply.

* * *

"You have amnesia? You poor thing!" Mai Kujaku whined, embracing the tanned teen, who had just been introduced to the awake Nemesis members. His cheeks flared up - he had a feeling he'd have to get used to sudden contact in Nemesis. He glanced to the Charon brothers for help, squirming. Bakura merely scowled; Ryou was trying, and failing, to hold back laughter.

"Mai, I... think he's... a bit uncomfortable," Ryou said between sniggers. Marik glared at the smaller teen. Uncomfortable was an understatement.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie!" Mai gasped, pulling away. Marik simply flashed her a shy smile - he wasn't much of a people person. The blonde woman turned to the two brothers with a grin. "So, do you have an idea of where he's going to stay? You _know_ our building is booked." She hooked an arm around Marik's shoulders, making him grimace. "But, if you don't, my room is always available."

Ryou gasped at this. "Oh no! I hadn't even considered that!" he yelped, hitting his head. "Stupid Ryou! Stupid, stupid Ryou!" As Ryou wallowed in his impromptu self-loathing, Bakura sauntered over to Mai, yanking Marik away from her by the arm. Marik gasped, suddenly against the whitette's chest.

"He'll be staying with us, thank you," he growled, narrowing his eyes at the blonde woman. Mai's eyes widened, surprised at this sudden... behavior. Smirking, she turned to the stairs. Throwing a knowing glance back at the pair, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Well then, I suppose I'll retire for the night," she giggled. "I'm hoping you know where the extra blankets are. Unless you're willing to share a bed." Marik's cheeks flared up, gaping at the implications she was sending. Mai only laughed at this, making her way up the steps and disappearing.

Bakura glared after her. Of course he knew where the extra blankets were. He wasn't going to share a bed with this enigmatic teenager. Said teenager let out a cough, squirming uncomfortably in Bakura's grasp. "Can you let go of me, please?" he asked. Cursing under his breath, Bakura quickly let go. He turned to his brother, smacking him softly on the back and knocking the other out of his worries.

"Let's go, Ryou. We have to set up this..." Bakura sent a glance at Marik, scanning over him. "... a bed," he finished. Marik glared at the Cerberian, affronted by his unsaid _comment_.

"This... what? Please, enlighten me," he hissed. Bakura simply sent Marik a haughty smirk without a response - a childish taunt. Ryou smiled apologetically at Marik, taking him, again, by the wrist. It was then Marik decided to just ignore all the sudden contact he'd probably receive at this Nemesis hideout.

"I'm sorry about Bakura. Don't take any of his words to heart," Ryou advised. Leaning in closer, he let out a giggle. "To be completely honest with you, he's a total softie under that tough exterior." Marik gave Ryou a disbelieving look. That Bakura? A softie? He could hardly imagine such a thing.

"Come on you two, you can giggle to each other later!" Bakura growled, glaring at the other two. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to sleep _before_ the sun rises." Ryou and Marik looked up, exchanged looks, and hurried up to the older Charon.

Once at their room door, Ryou gasped. "I'll go get the blankets! Bakura, you can help situate him, or whatever," he said quickly. The older two stood in silence, watching while the younger Charon brother rushed off. Well, this was awkward.

"Come on, let's go in." Bakura's gruff voice snapped Marik out of his daze, the whitette walking into the room. Marik followed with haste.

The room was... pleasant, considering it was in the hideout of a rebellion organization. A bed on either side of the room, big enough for only one person. Next to those were nightstands, each with a matching lamp placed on top. The bed on the right was messy, and adorned with crimson covers, while the one on the left was neat with a white blanket. It was easy for Marik to guess which bed belonged to whom. In between the two beds was a single window, overlooking the streets of Epione. He smiled softly to himself, sure that the Legion wouldn't find him in this kind of place.

"You said your so-called friends found you in the desert of the outer Capital," Bakura's voice came. Marik snapped to look at the whitette, who was now sitting on his own bed.

"Oh, uh... yeah. Mother and I had gotten lost around there, and had asked me to go look for help. Then, I got lost..." Marik answered the others unasked question. "Yami, the guy that found me, had gone shopping in the Capital, and had spotted me on his way back to camp. I had nowhere to go, and so I went with him." He laughed slightly. "It was a real coincidence."

"So, you're Cyprian," Bakura stated. He kept his eyes on Marik, who was looking around the room still.

"From the Capital? Yeah, I am," Marik sighed. "I mean, you don't see this tanned skin anywhere else, right? Everyone else is so pale. Honestly, it was weird, experiencing the outside. There was so much stuff I'd never even dreamed of." His eyes widened. There he went again, words slipping out of his mouth without his consent. He could feel Bakura's questioning glare – it burned.

"Experiencing the outside? Were you locked up somewhere, or something?" Bakura inquired, just as Marik thought he would. He stiffened, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"I..." Marik was frozen. He didn't know how to respond. Hell, he _couldn't_ respond. His mouth went dry as he twiddled his fingers. "I..."

Thankfully, Ryou came in at that moment. "Sorry I took so long!" he said, a bunch of blankets bundled in his arms. "Getting all these blankets is a lot of work, you know!" Marik turned, thankful for the interruption.

"Thanks, Ryou," he tittered, taking some of the blankets from him. He walked over to the left wall, at the edge of Ryou's bed, and began to set up his makeshift bed.

"You're setting up there?" Ryou's voice questioned the other. Marik simply nodded. He didn't trust his voice at the moment.

After the pile was set up, Marik announced he was going to call it a day. He received a questioning glance from Ryou, who was chatting with his brother, but said nothing.

* * *

_The musty smell of earth filled his nose. Lights flickered from the torches hung on the walls. A boy sat in the middle of a tiny room, tears streaming down his face._

_Screaming. Off in the distance. Sounds of violence echoed off the walls. An eery melody._

_Why was he here? More tears began to fall._

_A door opened. A shadow loomed over him._

_Who was it?_

_Arms wrapped around him. A voice whispered sweet nothings in his ear, blocking out the violent music._

_Suddenly, everything changed. It was bright. Yellow. No darkness._

_Someone was behind him._

_Who?_

_He didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to confirm his fears._

_Fears? What fears? What was he afraid of? He couldn't remember._

_Arms wrapped around him again. A voice whispered – the same as before. He couldn't hear it, but he knew it was whispering to him._

_What was it saying? He wanted to know. He felt like he knew, but he couldn't remember._

"_Marik..."_

_A groan._

"_Marik, come on..."_

_A whimper._

"Marik! Wake the bloody hell up!"

Marik gasped, eyes snapping open. He felt sick, and feverish. He looked around; it was still dark out. How long had it been since he fell asleep? He didn't feel very well rested. Lilac eyes met burning crimson ones. "Ba...kura...?" Marik asked softly. His voice was weak - he really didn't feel good.

"It's about time you shut up," Bakura growled lowly. In Marik's haze, he realized they were only inches apart. How had they gotten so close? He looked down; he was still in his makeshift bed. Then, what was Bakura doing down next to him? "You woke me up with your constant tossing and turning. It's 4 in the morning, and I don't know about you, but I like my sleep." Bakura scanned over Marik's disheveled appearance.

"S-sorry," Marik muttered, coughing slightly. "I'm... prone to nightmares... I didn't mean to wake you up..." Slowly, he stood up from his mess of blankets. "Where's the bathroom? I... need some water." Bakura stood up as well, scowling. With a grunt, he gestured Marik to follow him. At least it wasn't far from their room.

Turning on the faucet, the tanned teen splashed his face with water, rubbing around his cheeks. The coolness had always helped him calm down. "Th-thanks," Marik sighed, grabbing a cloth and wiping the excess water off.

"You know, you never answered my question," Bakura stated, glaring at Marik through the mirror. The younger male froze, hands tightening at his sides. The cloth hung from his left hand, damp. It was uncomfortable. This place was uncomfortable. He was uncomfortable. But it was all he had.

"Which question?" Marik murmured, turning to face the whitette. He kept his guard up, expression passive as the other glared. "You've asked a lot of questions."

"You said something about _experiencing the outside_. What did you mean by that?" Bakura repeated his earlier question. Marik exhaled heavily. He was too exhausted to lie. He'd been doing it all his life. Maybe for once he should actually tell some of the truth.

"Yes. I was kept locked up underground in the Capital when I was a child. From birth until I was 11, when I finally escaped. Those days were hazy, and time seemed to never pass. Each hour blended in with another hour. It was impossible to tell from night to day," he began. Why was he saying this? And to Bakura of all people? "Life with no light is depressing. Since you're from Cerberus, I can guess you know the feeling."

"Is there a reason you were kept underground?" Bakura questioned. Marik scowled at him. What was this, interrogate Marik hour?

"It's custom for my..." He paused, trying to think of the correct word, to not give himself away. "...lineage. We stay underground all our life. I'm not entirely sure why; something to do with keeping something a secret. I never understood." Marik sighed, leaning against the wall next to the sink. His back itched, something that happened rarely anymore. He closed his eyes. "Any more questions?"

"Those marks underneath your eyes... what are they for? Do they have to do with your so-called lineage?" Bakura asked.

"Ah... these..." Marik whispered, fingering the marks under his eyes. "You could say that. Tattoos, they are." He said nothing more on the matter. The two stood in silence for a few moments. It wasn't awkward, nor was it pleasant. It was just... silence.

"Hey, Bakura..." Marik started. Bakura simply hummed in response. "Are you good at keeping secrets?"

"Sure," the whitette muttered. "I have no one else to talk to, other than Ryou."

"This secret... you'll have to keep it from even Ryou. It's something I haven't told anyone before... and I'd rather it not be public knowledge." Marik fidgeted against the wall. Why was he saying this?

Bakura stared at Marik. "Why are you going to tell me then?"

Marik grinned at the Cerberian. "I... don't know." A simple statement. Bakura sighed, nodding at Marik to continue. "Bakura, I'm..." Marik took a deep breath.

"Get on with it," the other growled. Marik looked at him, lilac clashing with crimson. This look... this expression... In the few hours or so that Bakura had known Marik, he'd never guess he'd put on this... desperate look. Like he was begging the other to stay silent.

"I'm from the royal family."

Bakura's eyes widened; Marik closed his.

* * *

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Come in, Rishid!" Malik called from in his room. The door opened slowly, revealing Malik's ever faithful servant. "Well, did you catch them? The bugs that helped Marik escape?"

"Yes, my prince. They are in the interrogation cells. We have Legion officers watching over them," Rishid reported. Malik grinned.

"Good, good! A list of names of who I'm dealing with, please!" he cheered, standing up from his bed. Fetching a piece of paper from a concealed pocket, Rishid opened it and cleared his throat.

"The accused are as follows. Yami Muto, age 25; Yugi Muto, age 17; Joey Wheeler, age 18; Tristan Taylor, age 18; Anzu Mazaki, age 17. As you wished, they have been charged with kidnapping," he stated, handing the paper to Malik.

Malik grimaced, scanning the paper for himself. Beside each name was a photo, and a list of facts about the individuals. "I'm guessing this Anzu is a girl?" he asked, though knowing the answer. Rishid nodded, coercing a groan from the other. He hated torturing and interrogating girls - they were too much trouble, and usually easy to break. Hopefully, this one would put up more of a fight.

Standing up, he stretched. "Prepare this _Yugi_ for interrogation first. I'd rather get the more breakable ones out of the way," he said. Rishid nodded, exiting the room. Heaving a sigh, Malik pulled on his self-named royal cape. It wasn't anything special, just a black cloak, similar to the one Marik had taken with him on his escape.

Cracking a smile, Malik looked out his window at the beautiful full moon. "Marik, my sweet brother... I'll be seeing you soon..." he crooned.

* * *

**A/N: Short. I know. But important! It seems that each chapter is getting shorter, and I apologize. I will do my best to make the next one longer. After all, it's one of _the_ most important. Leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Truth and Lies

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! To be honest with you guys, last chapter was not how I was originally planning on Bakura finding out about Marik. There were two other possibilities; Atem coming in as a member of Nemesis, with him being from the Capital, so he'd know about Marik's tattoos under his eyes. And... then he'd point that out in front of everyone. Either that or... well, it happens in this chapter, so read and find out!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Chronos Times is the newspaper. I forgot to mention this before, but Chronos is actually the name of the world they live in. Chronos is the god of time.**

**2) The name "Kek" for Malik comes from Miss Macabre Grey. Thanks for letting me use it!**

**3) There will be Deathshipping in this fic.**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

_**TRUTH AND LIES**_

* * *

A deadly silence filled the bathroom, Bakura staring at Marik with wide eyes. Slowly, he closed the bathroom door, trapping them inside. He let out a cold laugh, his eyes glaring at Marik with an intense hate. "So, let me get this straight," Bakura hissed. Marik winced at the ferocity. "First of all, you're from the royal family - which, may I remind you, created this _fucked up _world we live in now. Second, you're on the run from the Legion, already putting me and my brother in enough danger. Do I have it down?"

Marik looked up at Bakura. Guilt-ridden lilac met infuriated crimson. "Yes," he said slowly. "You're correct." In a fit of rage, Bakura grabbed Marik by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. He didn't squeeze, but the threat remained. Marik's breath hitched in fear, eyes wide. Was he going to die here? Now? By Bakura's hands, no less?

"One more time. You're telling me that my little brother is in danger, more danger than he's ever been in before," Bakura growled. Marik didn't trust his voice, so he nodded. The hands tightened for a fraction of a second, before loosening again. He didn't know why he expected anything less. The Cerberian was obviously a brute, and seemed to be the type who acted before thinking. A person driven by pure emotion, if it was strong enough. And that current emotion was rage. Honestly, what had Marik gotten himself into?

Bakura's mind was in overdrive. He was confused, unsure what to do with the tanned teen he had pinned against the wall by the throat. He didn't want to kill him, as much as his hands itched to, and he sure as hell didn't need a murder charge on his head on top of all thus. Plus, Marik was royalty, apparently, and he was sure he'd at least get tortured before they killed him.

In his fog of fury, Bakura felt like something was off. Something... didn't fit; didn't make any sense. Why was Marik here, and not in the Capital? Again, he was royalty, and who didn't want royalty? It was strange. This teen before him was wrapped in mysteries. Did he know something that everyone else didn't? About... everything that had happened in the last 6 years? Bakura didn't like this. He had a bad feeling about what he was getting into, and he didn't know why.

As the two stared each other down, Bakura came to a decision. He let go of Marik's throat, the other sliding down on the floor, grasping at his neck. Marik looked up, confused. So... Bakura wasn't going to kill him? Deciding to chance speaking, he slowly stood up. "So, what are you going to do with me? Throw me out? Leave me for the Legion?" he guessed, staring Bakura in the eyes.

Bakura scowled. "You know something," he said lowly. "You know something that everyone else doesn't know, am I right?" Marik bit his lip. What should he say? A couple moments of silence passed between the two. "I'll take your silence as a _yes_, then," Bakura sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Come on, we have to get back to bed." He turned, opening the door. A hand grabbed his elbow, stopping him. Bakura turned, scowl still plastered on his face. "What?"

"Why are you letting me go?" Marik asked softly. "You were... going to kill me, right? Why didn't you do it?" Bakura stared at Marik like he was crazy. Did the kid have a death wish or something?

"You honestly thought I was going to kill you?" he chuckled. Marik simply nodded once. "Wow. You impress me, Ishtar. But, you underestimate my intelligence." The tanned teen puffed out his cheeks.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean? By the way I saw it, you looked like you couldn't give a flying fuck whether I died or not. So, why didn't you do it yourself?" he grumbled. "And it's not like I _want_ to die or anything! I'm just... curious."

Bakura stayed silent, before flashing Marik a smirk. "I'd rather die a quick, painless death than be tortured for murdering a royal family member," he explained. "Besides, you know things others don't. I'm not letting that knowledge go to waste." With a quiet laugh, he left the bathroom, backtracking to the bedroom.

Marik gaped after Bakura, then hurried after him. "What, so I'm a fountain of information for you now?" he hissed softly once he caught up to the Cerberian. Bakura grinned down at him.

"You know what they say. Information is power. And in Nemesis, the more power you have, the higher up you are," he whispered. As they reached their bedroom door, still open, Bakura turned to Marik. "So, Ishtar. Will our conversation be public, or will it be private?"

Marik glared at Bakura. So, this is what it lead to. Blackmail, of course. "Private," he hissed out. Two could play at that game. "Unless you have your own death wish, that is. I'll let you know the prince isn't very forgiving. You're already in for a slight torturing just for knowing me and helping me out. Granted, I've been eluding him for six years now, so I'd be off worse. However." He stepped closer to Bakura, glaring right into his eyes. "You said you'd rather die a quick, painless death. I can assure you that if we get caught, that won't happen. But go ahead, release this information. _Be my guest._"

Bakura returned the glare. The little royal bitch had turned the tables on him. He underestimated Marik, that's for sure. Slowly, a smirk made his way up his lips. "Alright, Marik," he said slowly. "You have a deal. I won't tell anyone anything, and neither will you."

Marik grinned. "I'm glad you saw reason," he said slyly. Stretching, he backed away from Bakura and made his way to his makeshift bed. "I'm going back to sleep. Say hi to Ryou in the morning for me."

* * *

Marik woke up feeling better than ever. After that whole confrontation with Bakura, he actually felt... refreshed; like a weight was lifted off his chest. Vaguely, he wondered if it even happened, and if it was just a dream, instead...

"Hey, princess, get up," Bakura's gruff voice demanded. Marik's eyes snapped to the whitette's form, currently sprawled out on his bed reading a Chronos Times issue. So, _princess_ was his new nickname, then. Marik guessed it the whole confrontation did happen, and now Bakura knew about him. Slowly, the younger teen stood from his pile of blankets, yawning.

"Don't call me princess, asshole," Marik growled, rubbing his eyes. He looked over to the window; the sun was high in the sky. "Yeesh, what time is it?"

Bakura scowled at him. "It's nearly 1 PM," he growled. "I wanted to wake you up earlier, but Ryou said to _let you sleep_. He left around an hour ago, and I decided to go ahead and wake you, unless you didn't first." His scowl turned up into a smirk. "I guess princesses need their beauty sleep, hm?"

Marik flushed, glaring at Bakura. "I _said_, don't call me _princess!_" he hissed. "I'm not... I left the Capital to get away from all that, jerk face!"

Bakura raised an eyebrow at him. "_Jerk face?_ Man, Marik, your insults need some serious work," he commented, sitting up and getting off his bed. "But then again, princesses _do_ need to censor themselves. It's unrefined to insult others." He chuckled as the other puffed out his cheeks in anger, setting his Chronos Times on his night stand.

"Ugh, whatever," Marik groaned. Suddenly, there was a knocking on the door. Bakura growled, making his way over and throwing it open.

"What?" he grunted, glaring at the Nemesis member before him. Marik moved next to Bakura, eyebrows furrowed. The girl on the other side of the doorway looked nervous, a worried frown present. Her hands were behind her back, as if hiding something.

"Charon," she began, setting her eyes on Bakura. "I have... a letter for you. It's from the Capital. I didn't open it, but..." She put her arms in front of her, forcing towards Bakura a brown envelope. Bakura snatched it from her hands, looking it over. Indeed, it did say it was from the Capital. And addressed to him, from... The girl rushed off, now that her task was done.

Bakura didn't say anything, but shut the door slowly. "It's from the prince," he announced. Marik stiffened, staring at the envelope. With a grunt, Bakura tore open the envelope, and read out loud the contents.

"_Dear Mr. Charon, and possibly Mr. Ishtar..." _Marik's eyes widened at this. How had they found him _already?_ _"I send this with my deepest condolences. You see, you have something very precious of mine, Mr. Charon. In return, I've taken something precious from you._" Bakura's eyes widened, mind cranking. _"If you don't return Marik to me, I'm afraid I'll have to take drastic measures. And I'm certain you wouldn't want that. Come to the Capital. Don't try to run off. I'll know right away if you try anything funny. Signed, Kek." _

"Kek?" Marik muttered thoughtfully. "I see... so he took on a different name." He looked up at Bakura, who was staring at the page. "Hey... how long ago did you say Ryou was out?" Bakura's eyes met his for a split second, before they rushed out of the room and down to the bar area. They received numerous curious glances from the other members.

"Kujaku!" Bakura called out. Mai turned, blinking at her fellow member. "We-" he gestured between him and Marik "-are going out for a while. If we don't come back, don't look for us."

Mai narrowed her eyes at the two men. There was a rush in Bakura's voice that she didn't like. Bakura was their best thief, and if Nemesis lost him, it would be a huge loss. "And where exactly are you going?" she asked hesitantly.

"We're going to the Capital," Marik answered. The bar area went deadly silent. "We... have business to take care of there."

"The Capital... huh..." Mai repeated slowly. "So, do you have a way of getting there? Or rather, do you even know the way there?"

Bakura grinned, putting his arm around Marik. "I have an escort, you could say," he said slyly. The tanned teen flushed, trying to pull away. Mai smirked at this display.

"But of course," she said smoothly. "I hope you two have a _wonderful_ time." Marik's cheeks burned, opening his mouth to retort. But, he was cut off, as Bakura dragged him away, outside the hideout. They continued to walk away from the hideout, until they found an alleyway to hide in.

"Okay. So, mister Cyprian, show me the way," Bakura stated. He reached into his pocket, pulling out some sort of device. He clicked a button, and a holographic map showed up. Marik stared at it with wide eyes. Bakura caught this and sighed. "It's a little doohickey one of our Techs invented, but it's still in the prototype stage. You can touch the hologram and basically set a way point. It's convenient, but it still has a bunch of glitches. The Tech's trying to finish it up, but I took a beta one from one of our Labs," he explained.

Marik hummed, examining the map. It showed the four nations, each with the borders of the districts. Apollo was in the upper left, Scylla underneath it. Next to Scylla was Helios, and above that was Cerberus. In the Apollo area, the Herb Forest was colored in green, up in the left corner. It nearly completely covered the Aceso district, and filled up a littler over half of Epione. It also filled a tiny bit of the upper left corner of Iaso.

In Apollo, Epione took up nearly the entire north. Aceso was larger, taking up a big part of the left. Asclepius was smaller, at the bottom left corner. Iaso was large, taking up most of the middle and down to the bottom right corner. For Scylla, it was divided in half. Hydros took up the bottom half, it being the largest. The upper half was divided into thirds; Eidothea being on the left, Phorcys in the middle, and Tethys on the right. In Helios, Aether took up the majority of the upper part. Below it, Selene was to the right, Ouranos underneath it. Eos was to the left. Lastly, Cerberus was the most complex. Hades was a large part of it, right in the middle. Nyx was in the upper left corner, Thanatos in the bottom left, and Erebos at the right. Erebos was long, and thin, like a snake.

Each district of each nation had a different color. In the Apollo nation, Aceso was a dark green, Epione was a soft green, Iaso was a forest green, and Asclepius was a teal color. In Cerberus, Nyx was a crimson red, Hades was near black, Erebos was a light gray, and Thanatos was a fiery orange. For Helios, Aether was a light red, Selene was pink, Ouranos was a soft blue, and Eos was magenta. Lastly, in Scylla, Hydros was an aqua color, Eidothea was light blue, Phorcys was a deep purple, and Tethys was a dark blue.

The map also highlighted the other various landmarks. Separating Cerberus from Scylla and Apollo, was a large black line with the name the Great Rift. At the bottom of Hydros, it colored in the beach and ocean. All in all, it was a very impressive map. But...

Wait. Something was missing. Marik looked at Bakura with a frown. "Where's the Capital on the map? I don't see it," he pointed out. Bakura gave Marik a look.

"Since none of the Nemesis members have been to the Capital, we don't know where exactly it is," he explained. "That's where you come in. _You_ know where the Capital is." He looked back down at the map. "So? Where is it?"

Marik looked at the map as well, biting his lip. "On the other side of Cerberus. Helios isn't connected to it; there's a large body of water between them," he explained. Slowly, he put his pointer finger on their current location. "To get there, we have to go around the Great Rift." He dragged his finger down. "That means, we'll have to go through the Iaso district. Luckily, I know it enough. And once we pass there, we have to go into Scylla." He dragged it down to upper right of Scylla.

"Tethys is our first district there. Once we're there, we'll have to dip down to Hydros for a ways or two." The finger lowered, before moving to the right. "Once we get past Hydros, we'll be in Helios. The Selene district, to be exact. And with that, we move up to the Aether district. And when we clear Aether, we'll enter Cerberus. Or, rather, Thanatos." His finger followed his directions. "From there, we go North East up to Hades. It'll take some time, but we have to get to Erebos." Marik looked up at Bakura. "You're from Erebos, right?"

Bakura grunted. "Yeah. I'll warn you now, Cerberus isn't the happiest of places," he commented. "What you might've heard about death and famine, that's all dimmed down in description. It's much worse." Marik nodded once, looking back down at the map.

"I'll keep that in mind. We'll have to stock up on food in Helios before we get there, then," he sighed. "Anyway, after we pass Erebos, we'll be in the outer Capital." A soft smile graced his lips. "That's where Yami found me, in the outer Capital." He coughed slightly, realizing he was getting off track. "The outer Capital goes on for miles. It'll be a long time before we make it to the actual city." He sighed, tapping the edge of Erebos. "I'm guessing the Cerberus to the Capital part of our journey will be the hardest. Especially if what you're saying about Cerberus is true." Biting his lip, he looked up at Bakura.

Bakura met his eyes with a scowl. "What? Why are you staring at me?" he growled.

"Sorry, it's just..." Marik sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry for dragging you and Ryou into all of this. It's my family problems, and I never meant for outsiders to get involved, so..." Bakura scoffed, interrupting him.

"Don't be stupid, and don't apologize. I don't know why you ran away, but there has to be some reason behind it," he said, shrugging Marik's protests off. "Besides, it's a little late now. Let's just hurry up and save my brother."

Marik stared at Bakura for a few seconds, before beaming up at him. "Yeah!" he laughed, taking Bakura by the arm and pulling him along.

* * *

Malik was in the middle of interrogating Yugi when a knock came at the door. "Come in, Rishid!" he called. The door opened, and Rishid walked in with a passive expression. He scanned over poor Yugi's unconscious, beaten up body. Malik was known to be... merciless.

"We've captured another person who we believe is connected to Marik," Rishid explained, closing his eyes. Malik smiled widely.

"Really?" he beamed, bounding over to Rishid. "Where? What's their name?"

"His name is Ryou Charon. He was born in Cerberus, in the Erebos district. He's Nemesis," Rishid explained. Malik's eyes widened as his smile fell. Nemesis? So his little brother was hanging around _those_ losers? Oh, Marik, how you've fallen...

"It matters not if he's in Nemesis. He knows Marik, so he's important in my book!" Malik cackled. "Show me to him, Rishid. I wish to meet this... Ryou..."

"Very well, my prince," Rishid said, leading Malik out of the interrogation room. "We're holding him in a special cell, since he's Nemesis." He looked at Malik out of the corner of his eye. "I was uncertain whether you cared if he was or not, for I know how much you hate them."

Malik simply grinned at Rishid. "No, no, you did well. I have much in store for this Ryou," he said. "I'm just glad he's not a girl. You know how I hate women, too." He giggled softly. "As long as Marik's not involved with any females, I'm happy. It negates him hanging with Nemesis, I mean."

Rishid couldn't understand the prince's logic.

* * *

A soft dripping awoke the whitette. Slowly, he opened his eyes, wincing as his head gave a painful throb. He tried to grab at the spot, but his hands wouldn't move. Eyes widening, Ryou realized he was chained to a wall. With all his might, he tried to break free of the restraints. But, of course, with his small physique, he was too weak.

"It's useless you know. You won't be able to break free." A deep voice, filled with malice and venom, filled the air. It sent horrifying shivers up Ryou's spine.

"W-who's there?" he squeaked, trying to peer through the darkness. As his eyes got used to the darkness, he could vaguely make out another figure. "Who are you? Where am I?" The figure chuckled, a sound Ryou didn't like. With a crackle, lights blinded him. He winced, closing his eyes tightly against the light. Slowly opening them, he could see the figure. A tanned man, older than himself, with spiky ashen hair. He... looked like Marik.

The other saw the recognition in his prisoner's eyes. "Me? You can call me Kek. I'm the prince of Chronos... My Legion rounded you up," he informed. "As for where you are... I'm afraid I can't answer that." He smiled; it made him look insane.

Ryou's eyes widened considerably. "Y-you're the prince? But... but you look like..." He stopped himself. No, it was just a coincidence. There was no way Marik could be related to this guy. He was the prince! And Marik was Ryou's friend, he couldn't be...

Malik's smile widened. "I look like...? Who? Who do I look like? Please tell me! I'll let you go if you do, trust me..." he purred. Ryou knew he couldn't trust him. Why did it even matter who he thought Malik looked like? The tanned other frowned. "Come on, tell me. I don't bite, just say the guys name!" Ryou stayed silent; Malik's frown increased. "Okay, then I'll guess a name... Is the name your thinking of... Marik?" Ryou's eyes widened. Malik smirked. Bullseye.

"How... do you know Marik?" Ryou asked slowly. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe Marik was connected to this man... the prince! The man that had started all this trouble; the war, the Legion, Nemesis, everything!

Malik grinned. "Marik? Ah, yes... He's my dear little brother, you know. Ran away when he was eleven," he said, ending with a sigh. "Have you ever wondered why the Effect, or whatever you people call it, happened?" Malik looked Ryou in the eye; the other nodded. "You have Marik to blame, of course. All of this was his fault. It's because he was such a coward and ran away." Ryou's eyes widened in shock as Malik began to pace back and forth.

"Yes... He didn't favor becoming a prince. In fact, he hated the idea! Can you believe that?" The tanned individual halted in his steps, looking at the ground. "He ran away from his family, his destiny. He left me behind. Poor, big Malik, left to defend himself against his evils. No little brother to help." Malik threw his head back and laughed; Ryou shuddered. "Marik ran, and look where that got him. A war broke out, and it's all his fault! He should die, don't you think?" Ryou's eyes widened as Malik gazed into them. "Yes... Marik should pay for his crimes. The deaths of millions are on his shoulders." Malik grinned. "Don't you agree?"

As silence followed, Ryou realized Malik was expecting him to answer. He tried his best to calm his nerves. "I... don't think anyone deserves death," the whitette said carefully. Malik scowled. "I-I mean... we've lost enough, thanks to the Impact... I wouldn't want there to be any more loss..."

"Why?" Malik questioned. He walked towards Ryou, who froze under the others scrutiny. "I'm sure you were affected by the war. Everyone was affected by it. You must want him to pay, to suffer for the hardships he forced you to endure."

Ryou swallowed heavily, his mind in overdrive. No. He could tell Marik wasn't like that. He wouldn't want this. He didn't know how, but he could just tell. "Marik... Marik, he... he must have had a reason for running away!" he shouted. "Marik is my friend, and I trust him, no matter what! He... I know that Marik would have never wanted this kind of thing to happen. The Marik I know is kind, and caring... he would've never wanted a war!" A loud silence followed as he finished. Malik stared at the whitette, face passive, hiding all emotion. Had Ryou said something wrong? Was Malik going to hurt him?

Suddenly, a laugh. Malik was doubled over in laughter. Why? Ryou's throat went dry, he couldn't say a thing. "Marik? Kind and caring?" Malik repeated, choking out more laughter. "I've never heard something so ridiculous in my life!" He stood up straight, wiping a tear from his eye. "That was a good joke, little one." Mauve eyes met frightened brown ones. "Would you like to know a secret? It's something no one knows about, other than me." Without an answer, Malik walked closer to Ryou, leaning in. The other shivered, face flushing at the close proximity. "Marik, you know... He killed his own father."

Ryou's face paled, eyes widening. Malik grinned, backing up and cackling. The sound echoed off the metal walls. It was terrifying. "Y-you mean... Marik... killed his own family...?" Ryou squeaked. "No... that can't be true..." Tears began to perk out. He knew Marik wasn't like that. He just _knew_... "You're lying! You must be making that up! Marik wouldn't do something like that!"

Malik stopped laughing, and frowned at Ryou, who was staring at the ground. "Why do you think I'm lying? I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't lie about this sort of thing," he said, watching as tears streamed down the pale teen's face. Scowling, he walked over to Ryou. He placed a finger on the others chin, lifting his face up to meet his eyes. They examined each other closely. In the very back of his mind, Ryou wished he knew what was going on in the prince's head.

A grin spread across Malik's face. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, little Ryou," he chuckled, backing away. "I'll come back for you soon. You're too cute to leave alone." Ryou's cheeks flushed, and he avoided Malik's eyes. Laughter sounded, and he flushed even further as the door close.

Just what was going on here?

* * *

**A/N: Let me say right now; thank the heavens I drew a map of the nations before this chapter. Otherwise, it would've taken a _lot_ longer to write. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Seen and Unseen

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

******NOTES:**

**1) Marik _does not_ have a crush on Yami. If you were rescued from near certain death by someone, you'd be pretty grateful and fond of that person.**

**2) Hermes is the name of the public transit in most Chronos. It's usually a bus, but can also be referred to as the train, subway, etc. It's unavailable in some districts, and most of Cerberus. Hermes is the god of God of boundaries, travel, communication, etc.**

**3) Since this fanfic is both Thief AND Deathshipping, it will go back and forth between the two. Sorry if you don't like it that way; deal.**

**4) Ryou refers to Malik as "Kek", because that's what he knows him as. It might be a bit confusing, but just keep in mind that "Malik" and "Kek" are the same person, and you'll be fine.**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

_**SEEN AND UNSEEN**_

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Bakura growled, looking at the holographic map. Some changes had been made – several red dots were marked on the northern part of Iaso, labeled as _Nemesis Hideout_, _Yami and Yugi's Apt._, and the _Warehouse_ where Marik had worked at. "We're going to your dumb friends' apartment to tell them good-bye? A bittersweet, short reunion? Ridiculous."

Marik groaned, shooting a glare at his travel companion. He was donned in a black hoodie, the hood put up to cover his white hair. (Marik thought he was being paranoid by disguising himself, but he had let it go. Better safe than sorry.) Currently, they were riding on a Hermes through Iaso, heading towards Yami's apartment. "I believe I told you this before, but Yami rescued me from the outer Capital. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive," Marik huffed. "Don't get your knickers in a knot, I covered your ass when I found you in the Euphrosyne storage room. He won't know you."

Bakura raised an eyebrow at this. "You covered for me?" he asked, making Marik slap a hand on his face. A smirk made its way across the whitette's face. "I'm surprised, Ishtar. I thought you would've at least turned me in." He received a glare from the other, enticing a soft chuckle.

"I didn't do it for _you_," Marik hissed. "I did it for Yami. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me, alright? _You_ had no part in it."

Bakura scowled. Marik had continuously talked about Yami ever since they had gotten on the Hermes around half an hour ago. He hadn't known their destination when they had gotten on, only being told where they were going three stops before they had to get off. There was one left. "It's always Yami this and Yami that, isn't it, Ishtar?" he snarled. "You sound like you have a disgusting crush on him. It's pathetic."

Marik opened his mouth to deny it, but was interrupted by a dinging. Grunting, he began to stand. "This is our stop. Just don't act like such a brute in front of him," he sighed. "And I don't have a crush on him. He's just a precious friend of mine, that's all there is to it."

Rolling his eyes, Bakura stood up as well. "I make no promises," he muttered as the Hermes came to a complete stop. They were the only people who had gotten off at the stop. Marik's eyes twinkled as he surveyed the area.

Iaso was also code-named "the factory district." It's where they make all their nation-specific goods. And, since Iaso is the largest part of Apollo, most of the goods are stored in the separate storage areas and then shipped to the other nations. The wares factory Marik worked at was one of the rare exceptions; it both produced, shipped, and stored. It was a smaller business than their surrounding factories, but they made due.

With most factories, their rate of success determines how large it is. A very successful factory would be around 6 stories tall, while a not so successful factory would be at least one floor. They were made of a dark gray metal most of the time. The metal was hard, hard to melt, and very strong. It was perfect. The factories were also nearly windowless, with only about three per floor.

A vrooming noise sounded as the Hermes began to drive away, snapping Marik out of his daze. With a small laugh, he grabbed Bakura's arm and began to drag him off. "Yami's apartment is near this stop," he explained. "I always used to walk on this sidewalk after school. The Hermes would drop me off, and I would walk the rest of the way. I graduated early, and began to work full-time at the wares factory. When I earned enough, I moved out to a different apartment complex a ways away." He heard a growl as Bakura yanked his arm out of the others grasp. "Sorry," Marik laughed. "I'm just really excited."

"I don't see why," Bakura grunted. "You left him on your own terms. Why bother going to see him at all if you're just going to say bye?" Marik sent him a glare, huffing once.

"Well, _I_ don't see why you're so against it. It's not like he knows about you, or anything," he retorted. "When I called Yami that day, he was worried about me. It's been four days, and I want to let him know that I'm alright." Marik sent a glare at Bakura. "Is that too much to ask for?" Receiving only a grunt in response, he sighed.

Soon enough, a small building was in front of them. With haste, Marik led Bakura up the stairs to the third floor. The building didn't have an elevator, Marik explained on their way up. "I gathered as much for myself," was Bakura's ever so witty response. Marik had simply laughed.

"We're here," Marik announced with a grin as they had finally arrived. They stood in front of the apartment, labeled 332. A nearly unlucky number, in his own opinion. Lifting a fist, he knocked on the hard wooden door. "Yami! It's Marik!" He could barely contain his excitement. However, seconds turned to minutes, and he began to feel uneasy. He knocked and called once more, only receiving silence. With a scowl, he turned to Bakura. "Unlock it."

Bakura glared at the younger male. "Excuse me?" he growled. "I'm not your slave. _You're_ the one who came here. They're probably out somewhere." Marik glared back at Bakura heatedly. He knew the logic in the others words, but his instincts... were telling him otherwise.

"Unlock the door, or else I'll call out that you're Nemesis," Marik threatened, eyes narrowing. "The people in these apartments know me. I used to live here."

Bakura glared back, eyes sharpening. "If you do, I'll say you're a part of the royal family," he threatened back. Marik didn't waver as planned, only glaring at Bakura.

"Who do you think they'll believe?" he began slowly. "Me, a person they've known for years? Or a stranger, who that trusted person claims is Nemesis?" Bakura cursed silently. The brat had a point, as much as he hated to admit it. Sighing, he pulled a pin out of his jeans pocket. Marik stepped back, allowing the experienced thief to work. In a matter of seconds, the door was open and he rushed inside. He barely noticed that Bakura trailed in after him, closing the door as to avoid suspicion.

The apartment was, as Marik expected, empty. However, no signs of struggle were found. He bit his lip in worry, looking at the clock on the wall. It was only 5 PM now. Usually, Yami and Yugi had dinner around this time, and they nearly never ate out. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to investigate, he went further into the familiar apartment.

It was so painfully nostalgic. He remembered every detail, even though he hadn't been here in years. Right through the front door was the living room. The couch was small, barely big enough for three. The TV was also small, situated somewhat close to the couch. There were racks of games on the walls; they both loved plying games. To the right hallway was Yami and Yugi's room. Marik didn't want to go in there, it'd be... weird. To the left hallway was what used to be Marik's room, the kitchen, and the bathroom at the far end.

"They aren't here." Bakura's voice snapped Marik out of his daze. "Let's get going. I have a brother to rescue." Marik frowned, looking over the living room once more. It was strange, like the two brothers had just... got up and left. He let out a sigh, nodding once as he followed Bakura out of the apartment. At the same time they had come out, a neighbor of the two brothers' had as well.

"Is that you, Marik?" an elderly voice greeted them. Marik looked over at the owner of the voice - a short, elderly lady with a hunched back, gray hair was tied up in a bun. She stared at the two boys with curious green eyes. "It _is_ you!" she squealed, throwing her arms around the Cyprian. "Oh, how you've grown Marik! How old are you now, sixteen?"

"Seventeen," Marik corrected her. "My friend and I came here to visit Yami and Yugi before going away for a bit. Do you know where they went?"

The elderly woman put on a thoughtful look, disconnecting herself from Marik. "I can't say that I know exactly where they went, dear. But, around two days ago, I came out and saw some Legion officer's escorting them out. It was a strange sight, indeed," she mused, nodding.

Marik's eyes widened, putting two and two together. The Legion had captured them, probably took them to the Capital. There, the prince was mostly likely torturing them about Marik's whereabouts. With clenched fists, he trembled in anger. "Thank you," he whispered to the elderly lady, leaning down and giving her a quick hug. "I promise to visit again. Thank you."

She smiled up at Marik as he took Bakura's wrist, and dragged him off. "Good-bye, Marik! Please, do come back soon!" she called out with a wave.

As the two walked away from her, Bakura was growing more and more irritated. First, at the tanned hand currently grasping his wrist like it was a life saver. Second, at the mix of emotions he was feeling because of the tanned teen's shaking shoulders. Third, at himself, for not knowing exactly what to say.

* * *

Time passed by so slowly. It was impossible to tell what time it was, or how many days have passed; there were no windows in Ryou's prison cell. At least he wasn't chained up anymore. Apparently, this _Kek_ had ordered one of his servants to let him down from the cuffs. He didn't receive the servants name – he tried to strike up a conversation, but the man had left before he could get a second word out.

To say this place was strange was an understatement. The cell had a comfortable bed, and actually looked more like a room than a prison cell. Usually, you would think prison cells would be more... depressing. Sure, instead of a normal wooden door, there was a metal door with bars on it, and the chains still hung on the wall... But, still - it had wallpaper, carpet, a nice bed... it was so weird! Ryou wondered if this was a special cell he was held in. After all, the only two people he's seen so far were Kek and that servant of his. Plus, he hadn't heard anyone else. Maybe the cells were soundproof, but Ryou highly doubted that.

At least he knew where he was now. It hadn't taken long for him to figure out. With Kek's constant talk about himself and Marik, he narrowed down the possibilities enough. Obviously, he was in the Capital. Where in the Capital, he didn't know, as he knew nothing about it. But, that information was enough for him.

As Ryou laid back on his bed, his mind wandered. Where were Bakura and Marik? Did they notice he had been taken away? If so, then did Bakura know the truth about Marik? More importantly, were they on their way to rescue him? He wanted to know so, _so_ badly. It was lonely in this prison cell; he missed them both dearly. The sound of metal creaking snapped him out of his daze, and he quickly sat up. Once he saw who it was, he frowned.

"Ryou!" Malik cheered, closing the metal door behind him. "I'm sorry for not being able to visit since our first meeting! How are you? Have you been settling in well?" Ryou's frown increased, Malik's smile falling in response. "Aw, don't be like that. You have the suite treatment, you know. I'm certain you wouldn't want to be put in any of the _other _cells."

"And why do I get this _suite treatment?_" Ryou questioned. Malik's frown lifted into a smile.

"Because of Marik, of course!" he cackled. "You're friends with Marik, and you have high regards of him. I like that in a person. After all, he's my precious baby brother!" Ryou stared at Malik cautiously, as the other began to walk towards him. "Much better than his little _brat _friends, though. _They _all got the lowest of the cells, of course. _They _don't deserve the suite treatment, unlike you, little Ryou."

"_Brat friends?_" Ryou repeated. "You don't mean the people that Marik left behind, do you?" At Malik's nod, he gasped. "But, why? What have they done to get the _lowest_?"

Malik snorted, leaning against the wall next to the bed. "They took Marik away from me," he growled. Ryou noted that his mood changed quickly – probably a mental disorder of some sort. "They took my darling baby brother from me. Of course I hate them." He blinked, his expression twisting into an insane smile. "Why else would I torture them?"

"T-_torture_?!" Ryou gasped, paling. "You _torture _them? That's... that's insane! Why would you do such a thing?" Malik stared at Ryou, a confused expression gracing his features.

"I already told you, little Ryou. They took Marik from me; what other reason do I need?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Unless, you feel sympathy for them?" Ryou shivered as a wave of fear burst through him.

"I... I took Marik away from you too, technically," he stated, voice wavering slightly. "I found him, seemingly close to death, in an alleyway, and helped him back to Nemesis Headquarters. I helped him escape from the Legion; wouldn't that place me in the same category as them?"

Malik mused over this. Coming to a conclusion, he shook his head. "Nah, you wouldn't be. _They _helped him truly escape from me, away from the Capital. With you, he had already escaped from me, so it would make little difference," he explained. Grinning, he nodded once, content with this answer. "I'm bound to get him back eventually. As a matter of fact, he should be on his way to save you! Along with that brother of yours."

Ryou's eyes widened. So, Bakura and Marik _were _coming to save him! His mood brightened, smile beaming. "They're coming to rescue me? Really?" he practically squealed.

Malik nodded once. "It's an exchange!" he announced. "I get Marik back, and your brother gets you! And everyone's happy!" He giggled softly. "It'll be wonderful, really. I get my darling brother back... Ooooh, I can hardly wait!"

Ryou went silent at the prince's words. "An... exchange? Does that mean I'll never see Marik again?" he whispered. Malik looked at Ryou with a large smile.

"But of course! Marik's _mine_, so you don't need him," he cackled. "Besides, would you really want to hang out with a _murderer_ that much? It's almost as if you have a death wish, little Ryou!" Ryou fixed Malik with a glare.

"Aren't I already hanging out with a murderer?" he asked bitterly. Malik blinked once, meeting Ryou's glare. Moments of silence passed, and Ryou began to wonder if he had said too much. Suddenly, Malik threw his head back in laughter. Ryou puffed out his cheeks. "What's so funny?!"

Malik tried several times to answer, but ended up in giggles each time. "You... You're really interesting, little one!" he exclaimed after finally calming down. "Almost no one dares to talk back to me. The last person who decided to met an extremely... unhappy end." Ryou gulped, understanding the implications. Malik slowly advanced to Ryou, who scooted up against the wall on his bed. "Are you scared, little Ryou? Are you afraid that I'll hurt you? That I will carve you up into tiny pieces?"

Ryou stared up at Malik, who towered over him. Was he afraid? He was shaking, yes. But, that wasn't fear he was feeling. It was something different, something he couldn't place. Happiness? No... why would he even be happy? Then... Maybe excitement? A sort of thrill? Somewhere along those lines. He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a strong knocking on the metal door.

"My prince, I come bearing news," the servant's voice sounded. Grunting in acknowledgment, Malik backed away from Ryou. He was upset in being interrupted – he was curious about his prisoner's answer.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he growled, making his way to the door. As he reached for the handle, he paused. He threw a grin back at Ryou. "I'll see you later, little one. And I do expect a quicker answer." Malik laughed as he exited the room, a click sounding as the metal door was locked.

Ryou sighed, laying back down on his bed. Well, that was certainly an adventure and a half. And he was not looking forward to Kek's next visit. Not one bit.

Or, at least, that's what he told himself.

* * *

**A/N: I'm ending the chapter here.**


	6. Positive and Negative

**A/N: Wow. This is the longest _serious_ fanfic I've put up on . I'm serious – I've never gotten past 5 chapters. I'd like to thank ALL of my readers and reviewers for helping me keep this going! And I'd ESPECIALLY like to thank _Jem Kallop_ for advertising this fic in her own. You should really read her stories; there's a reason why she's my favorite author!**

**Also, this chapter is dedicated to her! Happy birthday, Jem!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) There's a scene this chapter that is sorta gory, and descriptive. Sorry. It's important, but if it triggers you, feel free to skip it.**

**2) In dream symbolism, green apples represent developing love or a love that has yet to blossom.**

**3) I know I said this chapter would be purely Bakura and Marik, but I needed to add Malik into it. It was something unavoidable – I'm sorry.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

_**POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE**_

* * *

Bakura stared at his travel companion. After they left Yami's apartment, they traveled on the Hermes again, down to the closest cafe they could find. According to the map, they were now in the near middle of Iaso. It was nearing night time, and they needed to find a place to stay. "Have you calmed down?" Bakura finally asked. Marik let out a shuddering sigh, placing his hand on his face.

"Enough, yeah," he answered. "It was going to happen sooner or later. I knew it for a fact, I just... didn't want to accept the truth. My brother is a terrible person. He probably has already tortured them to near death." Marik gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. "I hate him. I hate him so much. I want him dead, but at the same time I don't. He's all I have left, really..."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "You don't have any other siblings? Just him?" he questioned.

"I used to have a sister, Ishizu. She's... gone now. I also have an adopted older brother, Rishid. He's still alive, but is working as a servant," Marik said. "It's confusing, really. My brother hates Rishid with a passion; I can only guess he kept him alive for blackmail. But, now that he has Yami and them, he won't really need Rishid." He sighed, laying his head on the table. "I never meant for any of this to happen..."

Bakura grunted, quickly downing his drink. "It's already happened, nothing you can do about it," he stated simply. He stood up, the chair scraping against the floor. "Let's get going. We have to find a hotel tonight." Marik groaned, standing up as well.

"Do we have enough money for one?" he grumbled. They exited the cafe, Bakura sending Marik a smirk. He reached into his jeans pocket, pulling out a wad of cash. "Wha-! How did you get all of that?!" Marik yelped, staring at the whitette with wide eyes. Bakura chuckled, stashing it back in his pocket.

"You forget, I'm a master thief. Getting money from a cafe is like stealing candy from a baby," he explained smugly.

Marik scowled. "Then, what if you get caught?" he hissed.

"Please. Like I'll get caught. I _never_ get caught," Bakura scoffed, glaring at the other.

"Oh, really? Then what would you call what happened when we met? That looked like you got caught to me," Marik retorted.

Bakura smirked. "Yeah, but did you do anything about it? No. You stood there like a wimp, cowering before me."

"I was not cowering before you!" Marik growled. "I'll have you know I'm scared of the dark! It brings back unpleasant memories, okay?"

Bakura simply hummed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, _princess. _Hurry up and lead the way," he chuckled, sending Marik a sly look. The other scowled.

"There's a hotel about a 15 minute walk away from here," Marik grumbled. "It shouldn't be that expensive. Either way, you seem to have it covered." The two companions began to make their way to the hotel. It was quiet – too quiet. The silence began to eat at Marik, and he couldn't take it much longer.

"So..." Marik began. "Tell me about Cerberus. What exactly is it like there?" Bakura gave Marik a glance, before deciding to answer.

"There's a lot of volcanoes there, and the ground is literally black. You can almost never see the sky – it's always gray. At night time, there is no light, other than candles. Some houses have electricity, but it's very rare to come across," he explained. "In Erebos, there's almost always a layer of mist on the ground. Sometimes, the mist rises, and you can't see anything in front of you. Usually, everyone would go inside their houses until the mist cleared, for the most part."

Marik hummed softly. "What about in the other districts? Have you been there before?"

"Yeah," Bakura answered. "I've never been to Nyx – that place is basically inhabitable. No one lives there anymore. That place is basically all volcano, dead trees, and pure blackness. Or, that's what I've heard, at least. I visited Hades often, since it was the closest district. The ground there is black as black, dead trees, the usual Cerberus. There's one large volcano in the middle, I remember. I mean large – really large. It's dormant though, and hasn't erupted in a long time. I've only been to Thanatos once, when I was leaving. It's actually a lot more hospitable there, and you can kinda grow some stuff. Not much, though. It must be because it's closest to Helios, which is crops galore."

Marik nodded as he listened. When he traveled with Yami, he didn't see much of the other nations. They spent most of their time in Apollo. The nations had always interested him – he wanted to see the world, of course.

"So," Bakura said, breaking Marik out of his thoughts. "Tell me about the Capital." Marik blanched, looking at Bakura with wide eyes.

"I..." He swallowed heavily, looking at the ground. "It's... a city. In the middle of the desert. There's tall buildings." Marik heaved a sigh, covering his face. "I don't know much about it, okay? I was kept underground for most of my childhood."

Bakura snorted. "There must be some things you know. You grew up there, I'm sure you know more than anyone else," he pointed out.

Marik bit his lip, his mind cranking. "Well... Ishizu told me some things. I don't know about the current Capital, but I heard that if you ever enter, you'll never get out. That's why it was a miracle I escaped," he explained with a sigh.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "And what about your friend? How did he get out?"

"Yami? Oh, he had contacts in the Capital that let him get out easy peasy," Marik answered.

"And? What about the story with your _mother_ that you came up with? Wouldn't that seem strange?" Bakura pointed out.

Marik blinked, stopping in his tracks. Bakura was right. How did that slip by Yami? Marik knew that wouldn't pass by him, so... how? Did Yami actually know all along? That he was royalty?

"Hey, we're here," Bakura announced, looking up at the building they were in front of. Slowly, Marik looked up as well, realizing he was right. "Come on then," Bakura grunted, gripping the Cyprian's arm and pulling him inside.

They made their way to the counter. A girl smiled at them. "Welcome! A room for two, I'm guessing?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Marik answered, pulling his arm from Bakura's grip. "And make sure there's two beds, alright?"

The girl blinked at the two, then nodded once. "Alright." She reached down, grabbing a pair of card keys. "Your room is on the 3rd floor. The elevator is to your right. Also, check out is at 11 am. Have a pleasant stay!"

Marik nodded, walking to the elevator with Bakura. "I call the bed on the farthest side," he announced, pressing the up button.

Bakura grunted. "I don't care which bed you take, as long as I get some sleep," he growled, glaring at the elevator doors. A ding sounded, and they opened. The two companion walked in, Marik pressing the 3.

"I'll do my best not to keep you up," Marik teased with a grin. "No promises though. I am prone to nightmares."

"No climbing into my bed," Bakura teased back. Marik flushed darkly, gaping at Bakura as he laughed.

"I am _not_ going to _climb in your bed!_" Marik hissed. "I would've gotten two rooms if we didn't have to save cash!" Another ding sounded as they arrived at their floor, both exiting and heading to their shared room.

"If we run out, I can get more. Easy," Bakura scoffed.

"That may be so, but I don't want to risk it," Marik grumbled, crossing his arms. Rolling his eyes, Bakura stopped at their room door, swiping the card key. Slowly, he opened it, Marik rushing in and falling on his called bed.

The room was surprisingly nice, Bakura noted as he closed the door. He had never actually stayed in a hotel before. It had a green theme to it – green wallpaper, green blankets, even a green carpet. Granted, they were different shades. Bakura scowled, he never liked the color green. With a sigh, he pulled off his hoodie, revealing a black shirt underneath it. "I'm going to bed," he announced, getting under the dark green covers. Bakura didn't listen for a reply, and simply fell asleep right away.

* * *

_Marik looked around in the darkness. It was dark... so dark... He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling cold. Darkness, darkness, darkness... Suddenly, there was laughter behind him. A chilling sound, shrill and short. Goosebumps shot up his spine as he whipped around. No one was there._

_A smell wafted up. He squeezed his eyes shut, slapping his hand over his nose. A rancid, putrid smell. What was it? With a sense of dread, Marik began to open his eyes. He screamed at what he saw._

_Bodies... A pile of corpses... Ripped apart, shredded open. Heads with no bodies, chests with no limbs, limbs with no attachments. The smell was overpowering; Marik could feel his insides twist with disgust. Slowly, he backed away, bile building up. Oh Gods, he was going to be sick. He closed his eyes again, wishing it away._

_Then, the smell was gone, replaced with a sweet scent. He felt wind, blowing against him. Marik dared to open his eyes, and met with a meadow. Flowers of all kind surrounded him. Slowly, he smiled. This was a nice change of scenery. Again, he closed his eyes, smelling deeply. He heard laughter; he was laughing. Why?_

_The sound began to distort, it wasn't his laughter anymore. Marik opened his eyes again. The meadow was destroyed, the sky was dark, thundering. He began to shake, and fell onto the ground. As soon as he landed, he felt something grasp his leg. Looking at it, he screamed once more. A rotten hand, with the skin peeling off, bones showing. The hand began to drag him down underground, ignoring his protests._

Marik awoke to a hand shaking him harshly. His throat felt dry, there was a wetness falling down his cheeks. His vision was blurry; he could barely make out a figure standing above him. "No, no! Get away!" he yelled, pushing at the figure.

"Marik, it's me! Calm down!" Bakura's voice yelled back, not letting go. Marik's objections stopped, and he wiped at his eyes.

"Ba...kura...?" he croaked, his mind a hazy mess from the dream. All of a sudden, he broke, clinging onto the Cerberian like a lifeline as he sobbed. Why was he crying? He couldn't remember anything, all he felt was an overwhelming fear. It felt like it was choking him.

Bakura sighed, annoyed that Marik had woken him up. He was exhausted. With a flash of irritation, he realized the other wasn't letting go of his shirt any time soon. So, Bakura simply patted Marik's head in an attempt to calm him down.

Slowly, Marik's sobs died down into little whimpers. "Are you ready to talk now?" Bakura grumbled, uncomfortable from their position. Slowly, Marik nodded, letting go of Bakura's shirt and falling back on the bed, covering his eyes. "So, what was all that about?" Bakura asked.

"I... can't remember," Marik answered softly, voice shaky. "I just... was so scared. I can't remember why at all." He removed his arm, peeking at Bakura. "Did I fall asleep?"

Bakura snorted. "Obviously, or you wouldn't have woken me up with your tossing and screaming," he growled, going over to his own bed and sitting on the edge. "That must've been some nightmare."

"A nightmare..." Marik whispered, covering his eyes again. "No, I don't think that was a nightmare. I usually remember them... and I can't remember anything..."

"Don't dwell on the specifics," Bakura grumbled, getting under his covers. "Just go back to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow." Marik agreed, pulling his covers over his head.

"Bakura?" he called out softly, feeling the need to sleep catching up to him.

"What?" Bakura replied gruffly.

Marik sniffed. "Don't fall asleep before I do, okay?"

Bakura groaned. "Alright, alright. Just hurry the bloody hell up."

A smile wound up on Marik's face as he closed his eyes. This time, in his dreams, he saw a green apple.

* * *

That morning, Marik was feeling better than ever. Bakura, on the other hand, looked worse for wear. They had checked out of the hotel on time, after Bakura snapped at the person at the counter. Marik had apologized profusely, quickly dragging the Cerberian out of there.

"Come on, I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up," Marik sighed. Now, the two were in an alleyway, planning on where to take their travels for today. The holographic map now showed their position, a bit further south than the day before.

"It doesn't matter, just point the way," Bakura growled irritably. He was not in the mood for any sort of whining. After Marik had fallen asleep, it took Bakura another hour to fall asleep as well. That means to say, he had around 4 hours of sleep, as Marik woke them up extra early at 7 am. Soon afterward, he learned Bakura was definitely _not_ a morning person.

Grumbling softly, Marik glared at the map. "We might be able to make it to Scylla today, if we make our stops short. Though, we'll need to make more stops than usual. I need a change of clothes," he said with distaste, looking at his dirty attire. "We can try, but I doubt we'll make it before night fall." He glanced up at Bakura. "Do you know where a Nemesis hideout is in Scylla? Or any near the border?"

Bakura scratched the back of his head, thinking. "I know of one. It's far, but we might make it. It's around here," he said, pointing towards the bottom of Iaso. "About a 4 hour ride on the Hermes. That is, without any stops. But if you _need _to change your clothes that badly, we'll probably get there by night fall. Taking in account with food and everything."

Marik nodded once, his stomach growling. Flushing, he backed away from the laughing whitette. "L-let's go get breakfast," he stammered. Stupid stomach.

With a smirk, Bakura walked out of the alley, Marik tailing behind. "You better have a good place in mind. After all, you owe me for waking me up last night with all that noise," Bakura said slyly.

"I _said_ I was _sorry! _How many times do I have to repeat myself?" Marik groaned, rubbing his face with his hand. What happened last night was really bothering him, unbeknownst to Bakura. Something like that had never happened before, and it was freaking him out. He had always remembered his nightmares, so why was this one different? What made this one special? Was this an experience that would repeat itself? Gods, he hoped not.

And what was with the dream after he had fallen asleep? All he could really remember of it was finding a green apple somewhere. Marik was never one for interpreting his dreams and nightmares and all that crap, he left that stuff to the professionals. He never really found an interest in it. So what if he dreamt about a green apple? Who _cares_?

As he looked at the whitette walking in front of him, he smiled softly. Maybe... it would be nice if someone cared.

* * *

"_Twinkle, twinkle, little star... How I wonder what you are... Up above the world so high... Like a diamond in the sky... Twinkle, twinkle, little st-" The singing came to a stop as the door opened. Lilac eyes brightened as he entered the room. "Malik!" the small voice cheered, his little brother standing up and throwing himself to him._

_A chuckle sounded as Malik picked up his 6 year old brother. "I heard you singing, my little Marik," he said. "Where did you learn it? Did Ishizu teach you it?"_

_Marik nodded excitedly. "Yeah! She taught me bunches of songs! But I like the star one the best!" he exclaimed._

_Humming, Malik set his little brother down. "Oh? And why do you like it so much?" he wondered. Marik grinned, rushing over to his bookshelf and pulling a book down. He then ran to his desk, flopping the book on the wooden surface and flipping through many pages._

"_Here!" he said finally, pointing at a picture. Malik walked over, looking down at the colored page. It was of the night sky, filled with many, beautiful stars. "They're really pretty, aren't they?" Marik's voice was filled with an innocent curiosity._

_Malik grinned. "Yeah, they are," he agreed. "Is there a reason you find the stars so pretty, Marik?"_

_Humming softly, the younger Ishtar shook his head. "Do you think I'll be able to see the stars one day, big brother?" he asked, looking up at Malik with wide eyes._

_With a chuckle, Malik patted his little brother on the head. "Of course, Marik. I'll make sure we see them together. It's a promise," he whispered. "Just don't tell Papa, okay?"_

_Marik blinked. "Don't tell Papa? Why not?" he asked, tilting his head._

"_Papa doesn't want Marik going outside. But I promise to take you out," Malik answered, wrapping his arms around his little brother. "Big brother Malik promises..."_

"And I always keep my promise..." Malik opened his eyes, glaring at the bright, blue sky.

* * *

**A/N: So, let's do a recount this chapter. Happy birthday Jem! Then thiefshipping bonding time, more thiefshipping, and a flashback scene with Marik and Malik. We're getting there, guys! Leave a review and tell me what you think!**


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